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CM Shehbaz, Imam-e-Kaaba discuss matters of mutual interest
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Shehbaz says Pakistan-Saudi Arabia ties beyond worldly interests
LAHORE: Imam-e-Kaaba Dr Al-Sheikh Saleh bin Muhammad al-Talib on Saturday reiterated Pakistan’s
Discussing matters of mutual interest during a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the Imam said that the political role of Pakistan in promoting peace and stability was an established fact.
Warmly welcoming the Imam-e-Kaaba on his arrival to the historic and cultural city of Lahore, CM Shehbaz said that the Imam’s visit to Pakistan was a matter of honour and respect for the country.
The Imam-e-Kaaba praised the chief minister for matchless development projects across Punjab. He said that he had visited the city last year and found it making progress. “During my current visit I have found that further progress has been made in Lahore,” he said and added the journey of progress was continuing at a fast pace under the incumbent chief minister’s leadership.
He also said various people had told him about the untiring efforts of Shehbaz Sharif for the welfare and development of the people, and he was pleased to learn that the chief minister was putting in all his efforts for the people to progress. He also prayed for more successes in the future.
The Imam said that due to Shehbaz’s untiring efforts, development would soon spread to all parts of the country. He also said that his visit to Pakistan was a matter of pleasure for him, and the people of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia shared a strong bond of love and religion which, he said, was above all relations.
“The strength of Pakistan is the strength of Saudi Arabia and the power of Saudi Arabia is the power of Pakistan,” said the Imam.
He said that for these reasons Saudi Arabia supported the peace efforts of Pakistan and was standing with the country.
The Imam-e-Kaaba also said that he respected the cooperation extended by the Pakistani government, the people and the Pakistan army, as both the countries had historic brotherly relations and the rulers of both the nations also shared strong bonds of purity and mutual respect.
He said the whole Muslim Ummah was very well aware of the historical ties between the people of both the countries that had helped each other during crises.
“The strength of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia strengthened the whole Muslim Ummah,” he concluded.
Speaking to the Imam, Chief Minister Shehbaz said the bilateral ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were above worldly benefits and peace was both the countries’ mutual asset. He also said that due to the Imam-e-Kaaba’s visit to Pakistan, the bilateral ties between both the countries would further strengthen and the governments, as well as the people of both the countries, would get even closer.
He said the hearts of the people of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia beat side-by-side and the pleasures and displeasures of both were common.
“The people of both the countries share good and bad times of each other,” said the chief minister. He also said that Saudi Arabia had always supported Pakistan and the people of Pakistan could never forget the limitless cooperation lent by Saudi Arabia.
He said the royal family of the kingdom had wholeheartedly helped Pakistan and stood shoulder to shoulder with the country during troubling times. The chief minister expressed his admiration for the Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s policies for the strengthening of education and health sectors.
The chief minister also talked to Dr Al-Sheikh Saleh bin Muhammad al-Talib fluently in Arabic. The Imam-e-Kaaba was surprised to see Shehbaz’s grip over the language.
Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Ahmed Al-Maliki, Sheikh Saad Al-Dosari, Senator Professor Sajid Mir, Hafiz Dr Abdul Kareem and others were also present during the meeting.