Islamabad and Riyadh pledge to fight terror: Musharraf, Abdullah hold talks
RIYADH, March 7: President Pervez Musharraf and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz have reiterated their countries' determination to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
The president and the Saudi leader held a one-hour meeting in Riyadh on Sunday afternoon. The meeting was described as part of the ongoing process of consultation between the two countries at the highest political level.
Earlier the two leaders had held a formal one-hour meeting in the presence of aides. Briefing this correspondent before the president and his delegation left for Islamabad, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that the two sides discussed ways to activate the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to enable it to meet the expectations of the Ummah.
They also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq and the issues of Palestine and Kashmir. The Pakistani leadership explained the current state of relations between Pakistan and India and steps taken by Islamabad to normalize relations with New Delhi.
According to Pakistani sources, Crown Prince Abdullah praised the leading role played by General Musharraf in combating terrorism. He told President Musharraf that acts of terrorism had tarnished Islam's image all around the globe.
Crown Prince Abdullah reiterated that Islam is a religion of peace and that "this message needs to be propagated". Gen Musharraf sought Saudi investment in Pakistan. According to Pakistani sources, the president highlighted that now with the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (Safta) in place, Pakistan could be used as a channel by Saudi entrepreneurs to cater to the huge South Asian market.
Shaikh Rasheed denied that there was any discussion on the nuclear issue between the two sides. Some analysts had suggested that President Musharraf's visit to Saudi Arabia should be seen against the background of recent visits of French foreign minister and British foreign secretary, and the forthcoming visit of US Secretary of State Colin Powell to Islamabad later this month.
They said the trip could be aimed at working out a joint response to the growing international pressure on the nuclear issue. The information minister emphatically said that no such thing was on the agenda.
Earlier, when President Musharraf and his entourage reached Riyadh airport from Madina Munawwara, they were received by Crown Prince Abdullah, Defence Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, other princes, ministers and senior officials.
The president was presented with a guard of honour. While in Madina, President General Pervez Musharraf visited the Roza-e-Rasool (Peace Be Upon Him) and offered Zohr prayers at Masjid-e-Nabvi.