ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had welcomed the Saudi Arabia initiative to establish a coalition of like-minded Islamic countries to counter terrorism and militancy, but Pakistan is still awaiting further details to decide the extant of its participation in it.
Responding to a question in the National Assembly, the adviser on foreign affairs said the prime minister reiterated to the Saudi foreign minister and defence minister that the people of Pakistan would always stand with the people of Saudi Arabia, against any threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the kingdom. He said that no agreement or treaty is signed to form the alliance, explaining that the 34-state alliance is formed to counter terrorism.
Sartaj Aziz said Pakistan has military cooperation with Saudi Arabia since 1982 and 1,000 to 1,200 armed forces personnel always remain there for training and capacity building purposes. He said Pakistan along with some other countries is participating in military exercise in Saudi Arabia which is part of the military cooperation with Saudi Arabia and no doubts should be created in this regard.
He pointed that recent developments in the region and rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran are a source of concern for Pakistan. “We believe that deterioration in relations between the two countries will have serious implications for peace and security in the region and sectarian harmony in the Islamic world,” he said.
To another question, he said operation Zarb-e-Azb is one of the biggest counter-terrorism law enforcement actions mobilised in the world, which is a clear manifestation of Pakistan’s abiding commitment and firm resolve to combat terrorism. “The government continues to highlight Pakistan’s contributions and tremendous sacrifices in fighting this scourge at various international forums,” he said.
He said the comprehensive and all-out law enforcement action Zarb-e-Azb against all terrorist groups without any distinction has yielded very positive results. “Various global terrorist networks, including al-Qaeda, are today considerably weakened in the region and beyond because of Pakistan’s continuous efforts and enormous sacrifices,” he said.
Sartaj Aziz pointed out that the success is also attributed to the strong domestic political consensus and unanimity on the need for effective action against terrorism. He said the government has also drawn attention of the international community towards the brutal acts of terrorism being faced by Pakistanis. He said that the inhuman and despicable act of terrorism perpetrated against innocent school children in Peshawar was a stark reminder of the enormity of the suffering of the people of Pakistan from the terrorism over the years and the same was acknowledged by many leaders including President Obama.
The adviser said the estimated losses to Pakistan’s economy are around $107 billion (Rs8,702.75 billion). He said Pakistan emphasises that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group.http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/99165-Pak-role-in-S-Arabia-led-military-alliance-not-determined-yet-Sartaj
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