Pakistan offers Oman support in dealing with terrorism

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday offered Pakistan’s support to Oman in dealing with menace of terrorism while condemning the recent attack on an imambargah in Muscat that claimed six lives and injured over 30 people.

The offer was extended during a courtesy visit by the Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman Fahad Sulaiman Khalaf Al Kharusi to the premier at the Prime Minister’s House, said a statement issued today.

Talking to Ambassador, PM Shehbaz appreciated Oman’s swift response and cooperation with the Pakistan mission in the repatriation of the dead bodies and treatment of the injured.

The attack on imambargah had resulted in the death of six people, including four Pakistani nationals, and over thirty injured, nearly all of whom were Pakistanis.

On Thursday, Omani police said that three suspects — all brothers and Omani nationals — adhering to “misguided ideas” were behind the attack and were killed upon resisting security forces.

READ: Oman mosque attackers were “influenced by misguided ideas”

Meanwhile, the prime minister said Pakistan had itself been the victim of terrorism for the past several decades.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also conveyed his good wishes for Sultan Haitham bin Tariq while fondly recalling his telephone conversations with the Sultan on Eid ul Adha as well as Eid ul Fitr earlier in the year.

The prime minister reiterated his invitation to the Sultan of Oman to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.

On the bilateral front, the prime minister stressed that Pakistan and Oman enjoyed close, brotherly ties with a shared history, faith and culture.

He expressed Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, particularly in trade, investment, energy, and defense.

In this regard, Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked the ambassador for encouraging a trade and investment delegation to undertake a visit to Pakistan next week, while assuring him that the relevant Pakistani authorities would extend full cooperation to the delegation while seeking mutually beneficial outcomes.

The ambassador thanked the prime minister for receiving him and conveyed the greetings of the Sultan of Oman. He reaffirmed his country’s desire to further enhance its trade and investment relations with Pakistan.