Pakistan desires friendly ties with all neighbouring countries: Asad Qaiser

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has said that Pakistan desires cordial relations with all its neighbouring countries and believes in negotiated settlement of all issues.

Talking to Saudi Arabia’s ambassador in Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, who called on him in Islamabad, Asad Qaiser said that Pakistan values its brotherly and time-tested relations with Saudi Arabia, Radio Pakistan reported.

The speaker commended the role of Saudi Arabia in socio-economic development of Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki said Saudi Arabia considers Pakistan as its sincere friend and our relations are getting stronger with every passing day.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, giving a policy statement over the evolving situation in the Middle East in the Senate session, had said Pakistan will neither allow its soil to be used against any country nor become part of any regional conflict.

“Pakistan can play a role in reconciliation, peace and stability, but will not augment fire of war in the region,” Qureshi had said, adding that he had talked to his regional counterparts, including Iran and emphasized on exercising utmost restraint to avoid any conflict in the region.

Expressing apprehensions on the implications on recent incident of the killing of Iranian commander in US attack in Iraq, Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said this may lead the region to further instability, especially chances of destabilization of Iraq and Syria have increased.