JEDDAH, 3 November 2003 — Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has condemned a report in two Indian newspapers that Pakistani intelligence tried to bug Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, during his recent visit to the country, saying the report aimed at undermining Saudi-Pakistani relations.
Ahmad said the report, published by the Times of India and the South Asia Tribune, would not affect the “distinguished” relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. “These fabricated reports will first of all harm the image of India,” Okaz Arabic daily quoted him as saying.
The Pakistani minister’s statement came after a Saudi official source on Saturday called the report “totally baseless.”
The two Indian papers reported last Tuesday that Pakistani intelligence tried to bug the suite of Crown Prince Abdullah during his visit to Pakistan and that the Saudi security service discovered the bug and disabled it.
The source also said the report was aimed at weakening the historical relations between the Kingdom and Pakistan. “The relations between the two countries are based on Islamic faith and values and they address all issues with transparency,” the source added.
