Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed 27 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth $2.2 billion, spanning key sectors such as industry, agriculture, IT, food, education, mining, health, petroleum, energy, and other areas of cooperation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, alongside Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Falih and Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, witnessed the exchange of signed MoUs. Pakistan has enjoyed warm relations with Saudi Arabia since the birth of the country in 1947. The relations are rooted in the centuries-old religious, cultural, and commercial links between the two peoples. The basis of the relationship is also on shared Islamic ideals. Pakistan is the only state founded on Islamic identity while Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and home to the two holiest sites of Islam. The Holy Quran and Sunnah play a significant role in the constitutional framework of both countries. As early as in 1951, the two countries signed a Treaty of Friendship, laying the basis for cooperation. Over the coming decades by a tradition of strong financial and strategic assistance extended to each other by the two brotherly countries whenever required, bilateral ties got strength. Over the years, the two countries have also succeeded in developing a unique synergy for mutual development. Saudi Arabia is home to the largest number of Pakistani expatriates, approximately two million. Pakistani engineers, construction experts, and laborers have played a crucial role in building infrastructure in modern Saudi Arabia. Similarly, Pakistani doctors, bankers, entrepreneurs, academics, and financial experts played a premier role in developing the institutional infrastructure of the Kingdom. In the process, the Kingdom has employed Pakistanis ranging from high-tech urban professionals to unskilled laborers from the remotest parts of Pakistan. The large pool of Pakistani professionals and skilled and unskilled workforce is a great asset for the Kingdom. Several monuments in Pakistan bear testimony to the depth of bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia. The establishment of the International Islamic University in Islamabad took place with a grant of US$10 million from Saudi Arabia. The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, the key landmark building in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad is named after King Faisal. The third largest city in Pakistan was also renamed Faisalabad after King Faisal. Saudi Arabia has provided generous financial support to Pakistan. In recent years, the Kingdom has provided a deposit of US$200 million to be kept in the State Bank of Pakistan, US$200 million to finance the purchase of Urea fertilizers, and a loan amounting to US$80 million for the construction of Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Plant. In addition, Saudi Arabia has contributed US$100 million for humanitarian assistance to the Internally Displaced Persons in Malakand region. To assist the victims of floods in Pakistan, the Saudi Government announced $105 million, which is 13.3% of the total amount pledged by the rest of the world. Saudi Arabia became the second biggest donor to Pakistan’s flood victims. Custodians of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, and other members of the royal family also contributed generously in their capacity. King Abdullah’s donation amounted to SR 300 million, followed by SR 10 million by the then Crown Prince HRH Sultan bin Abdulaziz, and SR 5 million by then-Interior Minister HRH Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal donated SR 25 million and visited Pakistan personally to assess the damage caused by a flood. Other relief assistance from Saudi Arabia included: 30-Cargo-Plane airlifts of humanitarian supplies; a land convoy of one thousand trucks that carried thousands of tons of wheat, 350 tons of dates, and 30,000 tents to Pakistan; two field hospitals, along with medical staff and equipment; and a Saudi search and rescue team.
Reclaiming the Right to Protest
The recent scenes of police brutality witnessed in Karachi are deeply troubling, serving as a stark reminder of how far...
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