Saudi Arabia pride of Muslim world, says Pak politician

CLOSE BOND: Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al-Asheikh received Pakistani Senate Deputy Chairman Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, 3rd left, and other scholars in Makkah recently. (SPA)  

JEDDAH: A leading Pakistani religious figure and politician has described Saudi Arabia as the pride of the Muslim world.
Speaking to Arab News on Thursday, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, deputy chairman of the Senate, said the people of Pakistan had a special attachment with Saudi Arabia.
“Our bonds with Saudi Arabia are rooted in our hearts and minds and are bound by our deep love for the land of the Two Holy Mosques,” he said.
“Whenever we face any difficulty, economic crises or natural disasters, Saudi Arabia is always there to help us out,” he said. “We will always be grateful for Saudi Arabia’s relief efforts during the recent floods.”
Haideri is part of a 10-member delegation in the Kingdom at the personal invitation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. They were guests at a royal iftar on Tuesday along with Gen. Rashad Mahmood, chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan, at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah.
“King Salman’s heart beats for the Ummah,” said Haideri. “He is constantly engaged in protecting the interests of Muslims worldwide.”
He said Pakistan was the only nuclear-power Muslim nation and therefore Saudi Arabia sees it a source of pride. “Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are the three important pillars of the Muslim Ummah,” he said. “Together they can neutralize all the evil designs of the enemies of Islam.”
He admitted that there were certain elements in the Pakistani media that tried to poison Pakistan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia. “They are very few and they do not represent the Pakistani nation. An overwhelming majority of Pakistanis love Saudi Arabia and its leadership. We should beware of these agent provocateurs.”
Haideri is a leading figure of Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F). He said much of the trouble in Pakistan was being orchestrated by India. “India has never accepted the creation of Pakistan. It has always held a grudge against Pakistan and therefore it is constantly busy engineering troubles in Pakistan in order to hurt us,” he said.
He said India was upset because of the recent accord that Pakistan signed with China. “The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is expected to bring investments worth $46 billion. This will help us stand on our feet. Pakistan is on the path to progress but India is not happy and so we see the infiltration of Indian intelligence agents into Karachi, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Balochistan. We are confident we will defeat their designs.”
He blamed Imran Khan for creating political instability in Pakistan. “He is a cricketer and knew the intricacies of the game very well. Since he entered politics, however, he has not presented any economic or development blueprint. He is more into brouhaha. Mere talk makes no sense.”
Haideri said his party’s stand on corruption was clear. “Corruption must end. It has to stop. But in the name of fighting corruption, no one should be victimized. None of the JUI-F members has appeared in the Panama Papers.”