Saudi minister honored on Pakistan’s National Day: An expansion of fraternal ties

The visit of Saudi Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Islamabad on Saturday comes as an extension of the great cooperation between the two countries.

With the main aim of strengthening bilateral relations between the brotherly countries and discuss developments in the region, the visit also included cables of congratulations from King Salman and Prince Muhammad Bin Salman to President Asif Ali Zardari on the occasion of the country’s National Day.

The King and Crown Prince expressed their sincere congratulations and best wishes for health and happiness to the President, the government and people of Pakistan for continued progress and prosperity.

The Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid, was celebrated as the guest of honor at the National Day celebrations of Pakistan. President Zardari awarded the Pakistani Order of the Nishan to the Saudi Defense Minister at a special inauguration ceremony held at the presidency.

The Nishan of Pakistan is the second class of the Order of Pakistan, and is the highest civilian award in Pakistan. This medal is awarded to “those who have rendered services of the highest standard” in Pakistan’s national interest.

“The award was given in recognition of the great services rendered by Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Pakistan and its people, enhancing defense cooperation, strengthening bilateral relations and contributions to peace efforts in the region,” state-run APP said.

The award ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as well as federal ministers, senior military commanders and members of the diplomatic corps. This came after the Pakistan Day parade in Islamabad, in which the Saudi Defense Minister was the guest of honor.

The parade is being held on the 84th anniversary of Pakistan Day, which is observed every year to commemorate the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the Muslim League which called for the creation of an independent state for the Muslims of India on March 23, 1940.

The generous visit comes within a series of important and strategic visits between the two brotherly countries.

These historically established Saudi-Pakistan relations are not affected by the passages of time and fluctuations in relations between countries.

Dr. Jamal bin Hassan Al-Harbi

In 1940, which is the year in which Pakistan’s resolution from the United Nations was issued, the Saudi Crown Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz visited Karachi, and received a warm welcome from the leaders of the Muslim League, led by Mirza Abdul Hassan Isfahani. When the famine struck Bengal in 1943, King Abdulaziz responded to the call for help from Muhammad Ali Jinnah, by offering a generous donation. In 1946, Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz held a reception to gain support for the cause of Pakistan. The Kingdom was among the first member states of the United Nations to recognize the newly made country of Pakistan. It also concluded a friendship treaty with Pakistan in 1950, and in 1954, the Saudi King laid the foundation stone for a Karachi housing project in the former capital, which was called “Saudabad” after him.

The Saudi Ambassador continued his historical narration, highlighting important historical milestones between the two countries. In 1974, the reign of King Faisal witnessed a great depth of relations with Pakistan, represented by the King Faisal Mosque in Islamabad and the city of Faisalabad. Finally, his historical narrative reached 2018, a year that witnessed Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman signing an emergency economic relief package worth more than $6 billion for the benefit of Pakistan, as well as billions of dollars in the form of oil credit facilities.

Financial support from Saudi Arabia has always been rooted in respect for the Pakistani people regarding their rights and their own sovereign and political decisions to choose who will lead them. It was supportive of their stability over successive eras and stages of cooperation between the two countries. Perhaps the Crown Prince’s saying, “I am your ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” which was preceded by the conclusion of the largest Saudi-Pakistani investment agreement worth $20 billion, (including $10 billion for the Aramco oil refinery), is one of the most important stations of this prosperous era of the Kingdom’s international relations.

There is no doubt that these historically established Saudi-Pakistan relations are not affected by the passages of time and fluctuations in relations between countries. This fraternal relationship is based on love and respect between the people, who have relations that go beyond work relations, and even further until they are one people linked by religion, trust, common interests and destiny.

- Dr. Jamal Alharbi is a writer on international affairs and media advisor at the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan.