JEDDAH: The Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) celebrated Saudi National Day over the weekend with a call for establishing a Saudi-Pakistan commission to solve the long-standing issues of stranded Pakistanis and Kashmir.
The meeting urged Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to reactivate the Rabita Trust (frozen in October 2001) and restart the process of the repatriation and rehabilitation of Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh should also play its role in solving the issue, the resolution said. The meeting called upon the Organization of the Islamic Conference and Bangladesh to end the plight of the stranded Pakistanis and settle the issue.
Iftikhar Choudhry, who was the chief guest, said the sacrifices of stranded Pakistanis were enormous and “it’s our national duty to bring them back to Pakistan.”
Rauf Tahir appreciated Saudi Arabia’s support for Pakistan, which he said was reflective of the strong bilateral ties.
Journalist Sameera Aziz, businessman Mohammad Luqman, Pakistan Writers’ Forum President Syed Neaz Ahmed, PRC Convener Ehsanul Haque, Wasim Shahid, Mohammad Ashfaque Badayuni, Gulab Khan, Tariq Mahmood, Asadullah Aamer and Mohammad Yaseen also spoke at the event.
