Jeddah, May 23: Addressing the Pakistani community in Jeddah, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, said that democracy is strengthening in Pakistan and the reigns of power are in strong hands.
She said Pakistan was facing extremism, terrorism and economic challenges but the government was determined to resolve all these issues.
The minister said the National Assembly would soon pass a bill regarding giving overseas Pakistani the right of vote. She said Pakistan was proud of Pakistani investors, professionals and workers working in Saudi Arabi, who were helping both countries strengthen their economies.
Dr Awan said Saudi Arabia had always stood by Pakistan in difficult times and Pakistan was thankful for this. She also thanked Saudi King Shah Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz for providing an excellent atmosphere to Pakistani workers.
Dr Awan said Pakistan was facing the menace of extremism and terrorism, to combat which it had rendered many sacrifices. She urged the world community to acknowledge the sacrifices of Pakistan.
She said due to dictatorships, the country’s economy had remained fragile, and assured overseas Pakistani that economic and energy challenges facing the country would soon be overcome. She also called on the Pakistani community to abide by the laws of Saudi Arabia and work for the prosperity of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Riyadh, Firdous said no family member of recently killed Osama bin Laden would be handed over to any country, including the US. She said that the issue of three widows and nine children of Osama bin Laden would be reviewed in accordance with international law.
Referring to the recent murder of a Saudi diplomat in Karachi, she assured that the Pakistani security apparatus was carrying out extensive probes to find the killers. She announced that Rs5 million head money would be awarded to anyone leading to elements behind the killing of the Saudi diplomat. She declared that the murder of the Saudi diplomat was a bid to spoil relations between the two brotherly countries, which would be foiled.
Firdous also visited the first ever women’s university in Saudi Arabia, Princes Nora Bint-e-Abdul Rahman University Riyadh. While speaking there, the minister said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia can benefit from each other in the field of education, particularly, women’s education. She said greater cooperation among the women of Muslim countries for preserving their Islamic identity and countering the onslaught against Islam was the need of the hour. She appreciated the pioneering role of Nora University in promoting education.
She said setting up of the university reflected the Saudi leadership’s determination to uplift and promote women education. The minister also visited various departments of the university.
Later talking to Saudi TV, Firdous said keeping in view criticism and propaganda by some Western media against Islam and the Muslims, there is a dire need for strong media cooperation between the Muslim media to counter the nefarious propaganda against Islam and the Muslims.
She stressed the need for opening new avenues of friendship and strategic engagement. Dr Awan said that during her meeting with Saudi Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Culture ahs had discussed with him how best to utilise the services of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for spreading the image of Islam and tackling the challenges confronting the Muslim Ummah.
She stressed the need for sitting together to form a strategy and mechanism for achieving common goals.
-Agencies