ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi yesterday said that Pakistan had no differences with Saudi Arabia at all.
Speaking at a news conference here, Qureshi said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoyed excellent relations. “Saudi Arabia supported Pakistan in difficult times and extended balance of payment support of three billion dollars,” he maintained.
His comments came amid reports that China had agreed to immediately provide $1 to $1.5 billion financing line to Pakistan, allowing Islamabad to repay $1 billion to Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, Islamabad repaid $1 billion to Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of the current fiscal year.
The Foreign Minister recalled that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan in the recent meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation openly supported Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir dispute.
“I am visiting Abu Dhabi and will hold talks with the UAE (United Arab Emirates) counterpart on Thursday (December 17),” he said.
On the domestic politics, FM Qureshi categorically rejected the demands of opposition parties Pakistan Democratic Movement terming them undemocratic and unconstitutional.
The minister said the country cannot be run on the whims of anybody. “Prime Minister Imran Khan will not step down and the assemblies will not be dissolved. The present government enjoys the mandate of the people and secured millions of votes in the 2018 general elections,” he added.
We are ready for talks on electoral reforms, inflation, NFC
The Foreign Minister who is also Vice Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf regretted that the opposition parties were giving priority to their personal interests over the national interests.
He, however, said the government was ready for talks on electoral reforms and the issues of inflation and provincial autonomy and the National Finance Commission Award.
He said the doors of the negotiations in politics were never shut. “The posture of the opposition parties may damage the democracy. The alliance of opposition parties has failed to mobilize the public support. The people showed their indifference to the Lahore gathering which was a meaningless activity as it carried no new announcement,” he claimed.
Qureshi said there was no consensus amongst the PDM over the issue of resignations from the assemblies and the Long March.
He said the policy of the Pakistan People’s Party was ambiguous as the decisions of the party were being taken not by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari but by former President Asif Ali Zardari.
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), he said, was also divided on the issue of resignations.
FM Qureshi said that submission of resignations from the assemblies with the party leadership was a ‘drama.’ “The resignations should have been submitted with the concerned Speaker’s office, if the PDM is serious on the issue,” he added.
The Foreign Minister said that allegations of rigging after every election in the country had become a habit and the incumbent government wanted to bring reforms with the help of the opposition but they were up to another thing.
Qureshi invited opposition for talks “if they feel there is any issue related to the 18th amendment,” but the government cannot negotiate on the corruption cases.