ISLAMABAD, Jan 13: Saudi intelligence chief Prince Muqrin bin Abdul Aziz spent a busy day here on Tuesday, urging Pakistan’s political elite to unite and play their role for de-escalating tension with India.

Prince Muqrin, who is considered a confidant of King Abdullah, met President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif and, according to sources, urged them to bury their differences.

The sources said that the focus of Prince Muqrin’s visit was ‘stabilisation’ of Pakistan’s politics. One leader quoted him as saying: “Saudi Arabia wants to see Pakistan internally strong because Pakistan is one of the pillars of Muslim Ummah.” Some analysts said the Saudi leader had come to defuse increasing tensions between President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani over distribution of power, while others saw it as a bid to rescue Nawaz Sharif, who faces a disqualification case in the Supreme Court.

The sources said Prince Muqrin had been invited by the president to discuss the country’s relations with India and a possible rapprochement with the Pakistan Muslim League-N.

Prince Muqrin had earlier visited Pakistan in August, ostensibly to broker a deal between former president Pervez Musharraf and the government, which was threatening to impeach him.

On Tuesday, he called on President Asif Ali Zardari and had dinner with him. Saudi Ambassador Ali Awadh Asseri and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik also attended the meeting.

During his meeting with the Saudi delegation, Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan would not allow its soil to be used by anyone against any country. Being a responsible member of the world community, Pakistan was fully aware of its obligations, he said.

The meeting was also attended by Mr Malik, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance Shaukat Tarin, the director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence, the foreign secretary and the Saudi ambassador.

The prime minister said the government and people of Pakistan were thankful to King Abdullah and his government for playing “a very important role in defusing the situation in South Asia”.

He said Pakistan was among the first countries to condemn and commisserate with India over the Mumbai terrorist attacks, had offered a joint inquiry into the incident and extended cooperation for bringing perpetrators to justice.

Mr Gilani said it was regrettable that the Indian government had not accepted the proposal and instead tried to make Pakistan a scapegoat for domestic consumption.

He said Pakistan was looking into information provided by India about the incident and would share the results of its investigation as soon as it was completed.He reiterated the government’s resolve to have amicable relations with all neighbours, including India, and expressed hope that the sentiments would be reciprocated by the other side and the progress achieved in normalisation of relations over the past years through the ‘composite dialogue’ would not derail.

Prince Muqrin said that King Abdullah had sent him to deliver his message to the leadership of Pakistan.

He said Saudi Arabia considered Pakistan’s peace and stability as its own and valued brotherly relations with the country.

The prince said Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were bound in religious, emotional, historical and cultural ties and people of both countries had always stood by each other. “Challenges confronting the Ummah today demand greater unity and solidarity among all the countries of the Muslim world.”

The challenges could only be confronted effectively when there was peace and stability within all the Muslim countries, he added.

Prince Muqrin said both countries were united in confronting the challenges of terrorism and committed to eradicating it.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal had visited India last month, reportedly to defuse tension between Islamabad and New Delhi.