Positive results of PM’s Saudi visit to accrue within few months: Tarar

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Thursday said the highly successful second visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia within a month to participate in the World Economic Forum was a historic and major development that would eventually bring about extensive positive results within the next few months.

Addressing a press conference along with Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, he said comprehensive planning by Saudi Arabia for investment in Pakistan was a turning point in the bilateral relations.

Atta Tarar said that multiple meetings were held with the Saudi ministers on the sidelines of the WEF during the prime minister’s visit. “In two days, 12 high-level meetings were held with ministers and major personalities of Saudi Arabia including ministers for finance, industries, investment, energy and climate change,” he said.

The Saudi ministers expressed their commitment to work with Pakistan with regard to bilateral cooperation and investment on the special directives of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, he added.

Within a short span of just one month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had two meetings with the Saudi Crown Prince that had historic significance for the two brotherly countries, the official news agency reported.

He said immediately after Eidul Fitr, the Saudi finance minister visited Pakistan along with relevant ministers and extensive consultations were held regarding economic cooperation and investment.

On the directives of the Saudi Crown Prince, the Saudi ministers formulated a comprehensive programme for cooperation with Pakistan, he added.

The minister said that it was a new robust initiative in the Pakistan-Saudi relations, and the specific results of the prime minister’s historic visit have started to come to fore.

Atta Tarar said that in the follow-up to the PM’s Saudi visit, a delegation of Saudi businessmen was also coming to Pakistan in the next few days.

“This is the outcome of the successful foreign policy of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” he said, adding that the exchange of delegations will continue between the two brotherly countries.

He said that a delegation of Pakistani ministers including Petroleum Minister Mussadaq Malik, Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal, Minister for Energy Awais Leghari and officials of Special Investment Facilitation Council had reached Saudi Arabia a day before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and returned one day after him as they held meetings on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum.

He said when Prime Minister Shehbaz said during his speech at the World Economic Forum that peace in the world was not possible without peace in Gaza, the entire hall clapped for him.

Atta Tarar said that a campaign by a section of media, intelligentsia and academia regarding online harassment and fake news was witnessed on social media recently.

He opined that there must be an end to any harassment, including online, and said suggestions should be put forward to the government on how to counter such campaigns.

He said that there was also call for a specific authority to address the issue of online harassment as at present there was no law to protect digital rights of consumers.

The information minister said it was imperative to avert propaganda and rumours on social media and ensure the protection of people’s digital rights. He said it was high time to take measures to prevent trends on social media targeting specific persons. He said it was necessary to create awareness among the general public about their digital rights.

Atta Tarar said that Prime Minister Shehbaz had issued directives for increasing the wheat procurement target to facilitate the farmers who contributed heavily in the rural economy.