On Monday, Saudi Arabia’s Interior Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif arrived in Islamabad and met with Pakistani President Dr. Arif Alvi and Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid to discuss a wide range of issues including the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the release of Pakistani prisoners from Saudi prisons.
During the meeting, President Alvi said that the two countries had an “excellent relationship” that could be furthered “for mutual benefit.” In this regard, he thanked the Saudi leadership for its “valuable support” at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The leaders highlighted their “shared concern” about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and called for international cooperation on the issue.
During his visit, Prince Abdulaziz also called upon Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to point out concerns surrounding the instability in Afghanistan, and both sides agreed to promote bilateral cooperation to strengthen regional security.
During the Saudi Minister’s meeting with Alvi and Rashid, they also discussed the release of Pakistani prisoners in Saudi Arabia, who have been arrested for petty crimes including bribery, theft and illegal border crossing. Alvi urged Saudi Arabia to “give positive consideration” and release individuals that have served their sentences. He also celebrated the Agreement on Transfer of Offenders signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia that had resulted in 1,100 imprisoned Pakistanis being released from Saudi Arabia in May 2021.
In response, Prince Abdulaziz informed Alvi about the steps taken by his country and underscored the progress made by the two sides’ technical teams on the issue.
During his meeting with the Saudi Minister, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked him for the kingdom’s “steadfast support” towards Pakistan “especially in challenging times,” specifically for “the recent budgetary support extended to Pakistan.”
Relations between Riyadh and Islamabad had taken a turn for the worse when the Kingdom denied the South Asian country’s appeal to convene an OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meet to discuss the Jammu and Kashmir issue. For Saudi Arabia, which is India’s fourth-largest partner in trade, taking a strong stand against India was against its economic interests. Consequently, Saudi Arabia halted its oil supply and ended a financial loan deal with Pakistan.
However, the recent meetings and statements, alongside Saudi Arabia’s decision to provide Pakistan with a $3 billion loan in December 2021, indicate that the hostilities between the two countries are simmering down.