Saudi Arabia to dish out 10m jobs: FM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that fruits of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia will be visible in the days to come.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the foreign minister billed the visit as “extraordinary”. “Ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are stabilising with the march of time,” he opined.

One of the challenges confronting Pakistan at present is unemployment, FM Qureshi said and added steps will be taken to ensure people get job opportunities abroad.

“Saudi Arabia will dish out employment opportunities to a whopping 10 million people in future, a good chunk of which will be earmarked for workforce from Pakistan,” he disclosed.

Qureshi said a Saudi delegation of senior officials will visit Pakistan after Eid to build upon the discussion that took place in Jeddah. Pakistan will get $500 million from Riyadh for various development projects, he revealed.

About Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s visit to Kabul, he said the army chief held important meetings with Afghan officials the other day. “Chances of restoration of peace in the region after yesterday’s meetings seem visible,” he pointed out.

Pakistan will benefit the most from the Afghan peace as there are opportunities for trade between the two neighbouring countries, Qureshi said. He also welcomed the ceasefire announcement by the Afghan government and the Taliban on the occasion of Eid saying it is a positive development and will create an enabling environment for future talks.

He assured that Pakistan will continue to support and facilitate the Afghan peace process.

Condemning the Israeli aggression against innocent and unarmed Palestinians, the FM said Pakistan’s stance on the Palestine issue and Al-Aqsa mosque has been very clear. Turkey also took a clear stance on Baitul Maqqadas, he said, adding he discussed the issue with his Turkish counterpart over phone last night.

Pakistan strongly condemns the attack and stands in solidarity with its Palestinian brothers, he said, adding Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated Pakistan’s clear stance on the issue in a meeting with the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) secretary general.

“Violence against Palestinians needs to be stopped at once,” he demanded, stressing that the international community should not stay tight-lipped over the brutalities unleashed on innocent Palestinians by Israel.