Saudi crown prince on visit to Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistani army chief General Raheel Sharif has reiterated that any threat to Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity will evoke a response from Islamabad.

Sharif made the remarks Sunday in a statement after Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammad Bin Salman called on him in Rawalpindi, adjacent to the capital.

Salman earlier arrived in Islamabad, making him the second top Saudi official to visit Pakistan in a week amid growing tension with Iran over Shiite cleric Nimr Al Nimr’s recent execution. Earlier Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir visited Islamabad on Thursday for discussing Riyadh’s tensions with Tehran and the Saudi-led multi-state counter-terrorism coalition announced last month.

He was to due to meet later Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif before leaving Islamabad. The visits came after Saudi Arabia and several of its allies announced the severing or downgrading of diplomatic relations with ran.

A statement issued by the military’s public relations wing said “matters related to regional security and defence cooperation” came under discussion at the Saudi defence minister’s meeting with Gen Raheel Sharif.

The statement quoted the army chief as saying Pakistan enjoys close and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and attaches great importance to their security.

According to the statement, Gen Sharif said Pakistan holds its defence ties with Saudi Arabia in high esteem and that any threat to Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity would “evoke a strong response from Pakistan.”

The Saudi defence minister, as quoted in the statement, said his country “attaches great importance to Pakistan and its armed forces and appreciates their successes in fight against terrorism and efforts for regional stability.”

Prince Mohammad Bin Salman “re-affirmed the Kingdom’s full support to Pakistan’s position on all matters,” the statement said.