LAHORE -  Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Saudi Arabia is a close friend of Pakistan that has always come to its help at difficult times.

Replying to a question of media persons yesterday, he said his Saudi visit was undertaken on the invitation of the Saudi government to perform Umrah.

He said: “Saudi Arabia is a trusted friend of Pakistan, which always sided with us in every hour of trial. The relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is very deep-rooted and both the countries trust each other,” the chief minister replied to a question during his visit to Pakistan Kidney & Liver Transplant Institute (PKLI), immediately after his return from Saudi Arabia.

The chief minister spent six days in Saudi Arabia without any formal official disclosure. He flew to the kingdom through a plane specially sent by the royal family. Three days after his departure, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif also left for Saudi Arabia. The presence of both the brothers in the brotherly Islamic country was speculated at political, public and intellectual level as a move to strike an NRO-like bailout deal for Nawaz Sharif and his children through good offices of Saudi friends in criminal cases against them before the accountability court and Nawaz Sharif’s readiness to launch a movement against the judiciary of the country.

Some others thought they had been called by the Saudi government for a sort of investigation into a corruption case unveiled after the arrest of members of the Saudi royal family. Another narrative was related to CM Shehbaz Sharif about getting support of the Saudis on his announced nomination for premiership after this year’s elections. However, the chief minister dispelled this impression when a question was asked about the NRO. “What NRO and with whom NRO?” the chief minister said, dispelling the impression that their visit was intended for a sort of reconciliation or for any other purpose.

The chief minister also called on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman during his stay in Saudi Arabia.

The chief minister said: “My visit to Saudi Arabia was not a surprising thing; the Saudi government offered me to perform Umrah and I have performed it by the grace of Almighty Allah. The Saudi government exhibited the best hospitality.” Replying to another question, he said: “Some say I went on a special plane of Saudi Arabia, while some others are of the view that I travelled on a private plane.”

He said Saudi Arabia never imposed any condition and Pakistan always fully trusted Saudi Arabia “because our relationship is not imitational or traditional and both are interlinked with each other in a bond of affection and mutual trust. Saudi Arabia has always emerged as a trusting partner during every hour of trial and the Pak-Saudi friendship has always stood the test of time. Saudi Arabia has sided with Pakistan at different international fora and has given diplomatic, moral, political and financial support to Pakistan without imposing any condition.”

Shehbaz Sharif paid a surprise visit to PKLI immediately after his return from Saudi Arabia. He went to different sections and inspected various facilities being provided to patients. He also inquired after patients about the medical facilities provided to them. The patients thanked the chief minister for facilities. The patients coming from Lahore, Mandi Bahauddin, Kasur and other districts said they have been treated well. The chief minister also talked with doctors, nurses and the paramedical staff and said that this institution will emerge as a state-of-the-art facility for the treatment of ailing humanity and advised them to serve the patients with commitment and passion. He appreciated the strong passion of the doctors, surgeons and physicians who had left their lucrative jobs abroad to join the PKLI and added that this noble passion was praiseworthy.

The chief minister also presided over a meeting in the hospital to review the timeline for the completion of leftover assignments of the first phase. He issued necessary directions for early completion of the second phase. He said the Punjab government, PKLI and the Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab have jointly performed this job and the first phase has been completed well in time due to the hard work of all the people attached with this project. “Now you have to complete the second phase with the same hard work and commitment. I have come straight to the hospital after my return from Saudi Arabia so that I could personally monitor the quality of medical facilities here and I am quite satisfied that doctors and nurses have been working with commitment and passion,” he said.

The chief minister told media persons that this hospital would emerge as a role model institute in the region. The leftover assignments of the first phase will be operational soon while the second phase will be completed by March 23. “We are trying to start the kidney transplant from this month while the liver transplant will be started from March,” he affirmed.

Later, the chief minister inaugurated the approach road. It was told that Bedian Road to PKLI Link Road will ensure easy access to different localities. This road has been completed in 20 days and is a part of the project of construction of road from Nawaz Sharif Interchange to Hadiara Road.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif returned home yesterday after visiting Saudi Arabia on a special plane of the Saudi government.

Later, in the evening, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif also arrived home from Saudi Arabia on a commercial flight.

Monitoring Desk adds: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan on Tuesday night after meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.

According to a statement issued by the Sharif family's spokesman, the Sharif brothers had a near two hour long meeting with the Saudi crown prince late Monday night.