ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday held separate meetings with ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Canada to discuss bilateral cooperation and global situation. In his meeting with Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan Nawaf Bin Saeed Al Maliki, the FM said restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran is highly significant for peace in the region. “Bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were discussed in the meeting,” the foreign ministry said. Bilawal said Pakistan attached great importance to its relations with Saudi Arabia. He thanked the Saudi leadership for supporting Pakistan in every difficult hour and expressed his best wishes for the Saudi leadership. Later, Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Seyyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini paid a farewell call on Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The foreign minister appreciated Seyyed Ali Hosseini’s services for promoting Pakistan-Iran relations during his posting in Pakistan. He said Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Iran in all fields and restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia was very important for peace in the region. Meanwhile, the FM also held a meeting with Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan Leslie Scanlon and discussed the bilateral ties between the two countries. The foreign minister said that Pakistan attached high importance to its ties with Canada in all fields and stressed upon enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade and investment. In a meeting, the foreign minister and Canadian high commissioner discussed the bilateral ties between the two countries, a press release said. The FM also said Pakistan will supply local manpower to Canada.
Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday sacked party’s senior leader Sardar Latif Khosa as president of the People’s Lawyer Forum (PLF) after his remarks against the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led coalition government.
The PPP secretary general Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari has been assigned the additional responsibility of the position, said a PPP statement. Khosa’s recent interviews and criticism of the coalition government, particularly the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) on judicial affairs, did not sit well with the PPP leadership. He consistently criticised the coalition government’s policies and actions. Khosa had publicly disagreed with the decision when the government, which is led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement, introduced the measure restricting the Chief Justice’s authority in the parliament.
