MADINAH/JEDDAH, 8 June 2008 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who is currently on an official visit to the Kingdom, discussed international and Islamic developments at the royal palace in Jeddah yesterday. They also discussed ways to increase cooperation between the two countries.
Gilani was accompanied by Asif Ali Zardari, co-chair of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the leading party in the country’s ruling coalition, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Water and Power Minister Pervez Ashraf and Agriculture Minister Nazar Gondal. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel Jubair and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Aseeri were also present at the meeting.
Gilani arrived in Madinah on Friday.
Reports from Islamabad said Gilani would seek $6 billion in aid from Saudi Arabia, mostly in the form of oil payment deferrals and boosting agricultural trade ties.
“A Saudi oil facility is also on the agenda,” the official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters. That refers to an arrangement to defer oil payments to the world’s biggest oil producer. “Certainly, we have strong bilateral relations and traditionally, our leaders go first there to discuss various issues including economic cooperation.”
Pakistan has reportedly delayed announcement of its annual budget until after Gilani’s visit. It is scheduled to be announced on June 11.
Addressing a press conference in Madinah earlier in the day, Gilani said the United States isn’t fighting the war on terrorism alone. “The war on terror is our war as well,” he said. “Benazir Bhutto was a victim of terrorism.”
On a question on Pakistan’s cooperation with the US, Gilani said the two countries cooperated in areas of defense, education and health besides the war against terror and exchange of intelligence information.
The prime minister said democracy in Pakistan was seriously hampered by the dictatorial rule.
“But our party made several sacrifices for the sake of Pakistan’s democracy. Asif Ali Zardari was jailed for eight years while I spent five years behind the bars in our struggle for democracy. We are continuing our efforts to bring out the country from its current woes,” he said.
Replying to a question Zardari said the subject of the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf could be discussed in the Parliament.
Zardari added that his relation with Nawaz Sharif’s party was excellent. On the issue of the reinstatement of judges, Zardari said: “A solution can be found through constitutional reform.”
— With input from agencies
