Islamabad: Pakistan government is considering to establish a Pakistan-Arab forum in order to further promote fraternal ties and people to people contacts, says Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony, Tahir Mahmood Ashraf.
Pak-Arab forum would soon be established for better coordination and mutual cooperation with Arab countries, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said following his recent meetings with the ambassadors of Oman, Kuwait and Iraq in Pakistan. The decision to enhance ties with Arab states was taken following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s direction to further improve economic and strategic ties with Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, and Egypt, in addition to special relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
In meetings with the Ambassador of Oman to Pakistan, Al-Sheikh Mohammad Al-Umar Ahmed Al-Marhoon and Iraq’s Ambassador to Pakistan Hamid Abbas Lafta in Islamabad, Tahir Ashrafi further elaborated that the forum is expected to comprise of scholars, businessmen, and public representatives of the respective countries.
All areas
Pakistan desires unity and stability in all Muslim countries, he stated during a meeting with Kuwait’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nassar Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi who acknowledged that “Pakistan is a very important Muslim country and Kuwait’s leadership and its people want to extend cooperation bilateral cooperation in all areas.”
Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi who is also serving as the prime minister’s special representative on the Middle East, earlier said that the relations among Muslim countries would further strengthen further following the landmark summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council in AlUla. He praised the efforts of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as well as Emir of Kuwait and Emir of Qatar to restore Islamic solidarity and unity.
Meanwhile, Pakistan looks forward to expanding cooperation in the oil and gas fields with Gulf states as high-level delegations from Saudi Arabia’s energy sector, as well as private company officials, are expected to visit Islamabad this month to discuss investments. Recently, Pakistan’s energy minister discussed the prospect of new energy projects and joint ventures in the oil and gas sector with the envoys of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in Islamabad.
