KARACHI: Pakistan on Tuesday reaffirmed commitment to strengthening its longstanding partnership with Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom marked its 95th National Day, with a special ceremony scheduled to be held in Islamabad.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have close religious, cultural, diplomatic and strategic ties, particularly in trade and defense. The Kingdom is home to over two million Pakistani expatriates, who are the largest source of remittances to the South Asian country.
This year, the Saudi National Day, which is celebrated each year on Sept. 23 to commemorate the proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 by King Abdulaziz, follows the signing of a ‘Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement’ between Pakistan and the Kingdom.
Under the pact, aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both. The deal, sealed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to the Kingdom this month, is meant to enhance joint deterrence and deepen decades of military and security cooperation.
“The Pakistani people cannot forget the economic cooperation of Saudi Arabia, which supported our economy. Millions of Pakistanis consider Saudi Arabia their second home, and are actively involved in its construction and development.
