Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday telephoned his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal Bin Farhan and discussed the Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz’s health, the coronavirus pandemic and other issues.
The Saudi foreign minister expressed his gratitude with Shah Mahmood Qureshi over inquiring about the health of the Saudi king and praying for his early recovery.
King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz is recovering at a fast pace after a successful surgery was performed on him, the Saudi foreign minister said.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi apprised the Saudi foreign minister regarding the smart lockdown strategy adopted by Pakistan to tackle coronavirus. “Prime Minister Imran Khan’s smart lockdown strategy has yielded positive results,” he said.
Faisal bin Farhan said that the COVID-19 situation is also improving in Saudi Arabia.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi while condemning Houthi rebel attacks on the kingdom’s defence installations said that Pakistan firmly stands alongside Saudi Arabia in testing times.
The two also discussed a decision from Saudi Arabia to hold Hajj with limited number of pilgrims, with the host country’s foreign minister saying that the decision was taken due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foreign ministers also discussed the upcoming United Nations (UN) session while agreeing to hold consultations over bilateral issues including coronavirus in the future.
