ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah met Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki on Saturday and vowed to strengthen security cooperation with the kingdom, the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that the two countries would jointly tackle “security challenges.”
Saudi Arabia is home of more than 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates and a key source of oil supplies for Islamabad. Pakistan also has strong political, cultural, economic and defense ties with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif visited Islamabad in February this year, with the two nations deciding to strengthen bilateral cooperation and increase connectivity between their respective interior ministries.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah (L) holding a shield with Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki in Islamabad on July 30, 2022. (PID)
“We will further enhance security cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said in meeting with the Saudi envoy, adding that both countries would “jointly tackle all internal and regional security challenges.”
He said Riyadh had always “generously” helped and supported Pakistan in difficult situations, and thanked the Saudi leadership for a successful Hajj operation this year.
“We are grateful to the Saudi government and embassy for the arrangements for Hajj pilgrims from Pakistan,” Sanaullah said.
Over 83,000 Pakistani pilgrims performed Hajj this year when the kingdom lifted coronavirus restrictions after two years to allow up to one million Muslims, both from within the kingdom and abroad, to perform Hajj.
