Islamabad; 20 Feb 2020 – The Foreign Office on Thursday rejected reports that arrests made in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are specifically targetting Pakistan nationals.
Addressing the weekly media briefing, FO Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui dismissed the reports, mostly on social media, that thousands of Pakistani nationals have been detained and deported over the last week.
Farooqui elaborated that Saudi Arabia routinely carries out such sweeps before the holy month of Ramazan to detain illegal expatriates and those whose iqama (work permit) has expired.
She added that authorities in the kingdom also arrested nationals of several other countries as part of the sweep.
“Our consulate in Jeddah remains in constant touch with the Saudi authorities on this matter and is taking all possible measures within the local rules and regulations to protect the interests of Pakistani community,” Farooqui said.
The spokesperson further said that Islamabad’s fraternal ties with Riyadh are of strategic importance and remain strong and dynamic. “Baseless reporting should be avoided at all costs,” she said.
During the briefing, the spokesperson also reiterated that officials from the Embassy of Pakistan in China visited virus-hit Wuhan and met the four Pakistani students who had contracted coronavirus in January.
The spokesperson said the officials had also interacted with the administration of seven universities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Pakistani students.
During the briefing, Farooqui also expressed hope that a peace deal with the United States and Afghanistan would be signed sooner rather later and that it will take into account the interests of all the stakeholders.
“Pakistan seeks to see peace and stability return to Afghanistan more than any other country in the world,” she said, adding that the peace-deal would lead to intra-Afghan dialogue.
She also hoped that US President Donald Trump would raise the decades-long Kashmir issue during his upcoming maiden visit to India.
“Offer of mediation by the US President will be taken forward through some concrete practical steps,” Farooqui said.
“Pakistan welcomes the letter written by the US Senators to the US Secretary of State drawing attention to the plight of people of Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”
She further said that voices are growing around the world calling upon India to provide fundamental freedoms to the people of occupied Kashmir and lift the draconian lockdown and ensure the just resolution of the outstanding dispute in accordance with the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) resolutions.
Referring to the recent visits of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the spokesperson said the visit shows a “growing acknowledgement by the international community of Pakistan’s contributions towards global peace and security”.
Islamabad; 20 Feb 2020 – The Foreign Office on Thursday rejected reports that arrests made in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are specifically targetting Pakistan nationals.
