Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan will always stand with Saudi Arabia in difficult times and would not let any other country attack it.

“This is a stated position of all our governments that we will not allow anyone to attack Saudi Arabia. We will stand by Saudi Arabia,” Imran Khan said in an interview with Saudi Gazette on Wednesday when sought his response on the attacks by Houthi militias that regularly fired missiles toward Saudi Arabia and even tried to attack the Harram.

On the Middle East conflict, Imran Khan said it was distressing to see conflict among Muslim nations and added that Pakistan would like to play a reconciliatory role in bringing the Muslim world closer.

However, Imran stressed that he was not a believer of military solution and felt that every conflict had a political solution. He said Pakistan could play a positive role in Yemen conflict.

About relations with Saudi Arabia, he said the government of Saudi Arabia had always been very generous to Pakistan in times of need.

“Saudi Arabia always has been of great help for us. There is a special bond with Saudi Arabia. All Pakistanis want Saudi Arabia to be secure and prosperous,” he said.

Explaining the reason why he chose to visit Saudi Arabia for the first foreign tour as prime minister, Imran Khan said Saudi Arabia had a special place in the hearts of all Muslims and it was but natural for a Muslim leader to visit Makkah and Madina.

“I am visiting Saudi Arabia because I was kindly invited by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and as a Muslim I should visit Makkah and Madina. And, of course, historically whenever a leader wins an election in Pakistan, the first visit is always to Saudi Arabia,” he said.

On his vision for ‘Naya Pakistan’, he said his three-pronged strategy aimed was about fighting poverty and corruption, investing in human resources and building strong institutions.

He said he wanted to achieve his dream of making Pakistan a welfare and justice state where meritocracy is upheld.

The prime minister lauded the anti-corruption drive in Saudi Arabia and said corruption was the main reason why countries remained poor. He said his government was also conducting a big anti-corruption drive.