Quite expectedly and hopefully, Saudi Arabia has once again come out with firm and categorical assurance to help Pakistan in all possible manners to overcome its prevailing financial crisis. The assurance given at the highest level is yet another demonstration of fraternal brotherly ties that exist between two main members of the Islamic bloc - Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. This assurance to help brotherly country in its difficult financial times has been given by the King of Saudi Arabia Shah Abdullah to the visiting President of Pakistan Asif Zardari during the high profile deliberations held the other day in Riyadh between the heads of the two countries. The president was given due warm reception and accorded the protocol which reflected the strong ties between the two countries. Saudi Arabia has agreed not only to further expand and strengthen existing ties with Pakistan in all sectors but also assured to help in cash and kind thus enabling Islamabad meet its hard pressed financial requirements to overcome the financial crunch which is being badly felt for sometime. Saudi Arabia will provide substantial quantity of oil to Pakistan on deferred payment and will formally announce financial assistance in concrete terms when the new forum, Friends of Pakistan, hold its important and crucial meeting in Abu Dhabi in a few days. The supply of one lac barrels of oil daily on deferred payment to enable Pakistan meet its domestic requirements is no small assistance in kind in any manner. Therefore, Zardari has not returned empty handed from his first visit to Saudi Arabia as the president. The objectives with which he had undertaken the visit in the difficult times have surely been achieved to a great extent. Some positive outcome has already become visible while further results would become known when Saudi Arabia pleads strongly Pakistan's case in the forthcoming meeting of the Friends of Pakistan and hopefully also announce a substantial financial assistance which may be in the range of US$4 billion or so. So far, so good. But the positive outcome of Zardari's visit to Saudi Arabia has some other implications and obligations as well. Since Pakistan will be getting oil facility on deferred payment, with the involvement of the IMF, it should be ensured that oil consumption is regulated properly and reduced substantially not only in the public sector but also in the private sector. Needless to mention here that excessive and wasteful consumption of oil would only be multiplying the financial burden on the national exchequer which is already facing hard-pressed crunch thus forcing the government to again seek IMF assistance for economic bailout on priority basis. Under the circumstances it is imperative that economical use of the oil, both imported and domestically produced, should be ruthlessly ensured at all levels from top to bottom. It would be quite appreciable that ministers set the example by using reduced number of vehicles and thus resultantly saving some quantity of oil on daily basis. No doubt brotherly country of Saudi Arabia has acceded to Zardari's request for timely help, but still going all out for self-reliance in all spheres of national economy would help in stabilising the national economy and ensuring rapid growth on sound lines. The writer is a freelance columnist