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Saudi Arabia’s Brotherly Humanitarian Assistance to Pakistan

Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the symbol of humanitarian assistance since its inception. It is one of the main pillars of its vibrant foreign policy. It has been surpassed all the regional and international countries in terms of high ratios of humanitarian assistance for so many years by all the international agencies. Saudi Arabia always stands first to help the struggling people around the globe. From the sandy plains of Africa to mountainous areas of Europe, from rainy fields of South East Asia to snowy parks, Saudi Arabian humanitarian assistance comes first and fast to reduce to suffering of human beings from natural calamities. It has been unconditional. It has been above any faith, sect, religious affiliation and above all any socio-economic conditionality. It is based on true spirits of humanity, peace, harmony and universality.

Most recent, once again the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced aid of 500.5 million for restructuring and restoration of flood and natural calamity affected areas in Pakistan. Under restoration work many small and big projects will be completed in two phases. Federal Minister Abdul Qadir Baluch praised Saudi Arab’s contribution, said that Saudi Arabia has always helped Pakistan in times of difficulties.

Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia H.E. Abdulah M. Al-Zahrani has reiterated his country’s strong resolve to stand by the Pakistani people in hour of their grief and sorrow. He presided over a project completion and new projects launching ceremony for Pakistani people effected by natural disaster and Afghan refugees in Pakistan. He said ”the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi people will always stand by their brothers in Pakistan and take this friendship to new heights.”

He proudly stated that Saudi Arabia has been a leading donor; it instantly responds humanitarian disasters and natural calamities worldwide without any religious or ethnic discrimination, in addition to providing economic and financial support to the developing countries.

Saudi Arabia is the largest donor in the world in term of ratio to it GDP and scope of its donations, he added. The ratio of Saudi global donations constitutes 1.9 percent of its GDP against the United Nation’s target for 0.7 percent of the GDP. More than 80 countries in the world benefited from its lavish and sustained humanitarian aid.

Talking specifically about Saudi-Pak bilateral relations he said

“Our relations with Pakistan are distinct and it is an honor for us to be in a position to extend our hand of friendship and support to our Muslims brother in Pakistan in their hard times,”

Ambassador Al-Zahrani further said our bilateral relations have strategic orientations and time tested. He assured the government and the people of Pakistan that this time-tested friendship is destined to strengthen further in years ahead.

He also mentioned the completion of humanitarian project costing over dollar 20 million. He thanked the cooperation they received from ministry of State and Frontier region, National Disaster Management Authority, Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, provincial governments and various organizations of United Nation in Pakistan for the timely completion of these projects in the country.

While giving details of the projects, he announced the second phase of reconstruction and rehabilitation projects worth dollar 60 million to provide all necessary facilities to people living in difference districts of Pakistan that effected by natural calamity. The projects include 3000 houses for flood victims, more than 200 water projects, 40 schools, 25 health facilities and rehabilitations of several mosques. It covers all aspects of social development in these areas and hopefully would reduce incidents of human miseries and sufferings. It would turn tears into happiness and poverty into prosperity in the days to come.

Px17-021 ISLAMABAD: May17 - Federal Minister for SAFRON Lt. General (Retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch and Ambassador of Saudi Arabia hold a joint press conference at Embassy of Saudi Arabia. ONLINE PHOTO by Waseem Khan
Px17-021
ISLAMABAD: May17 – Federal Minister for SAFRON Lt. General (Retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch and Ambassador of Saudi Arabia hold a joint press conference at Embassy of Saudi Arabia.
ONLINE PHOTO by Waseem Khan

Federal Minister Abdul Qadir Baluch and Saudi Ambassador in Pakistan H.E. Abdullah Al-Murzoq Alzahrani addressed joint press conference in Saudi Embassy. He thanked Saudi Government over aid and said that Saudi government has helped Pakistan in all difficult times. Federal Minister has also urged to launch such projects in terrorism affected tribal areas. He paid
his deep gratitude to Saudi government for its generous support to the effected people.

Dr. Khalid M Alothmani, Regional Director of completed a new projected gave a brief of province-wise details of humanitarian work in the effected regions.

Under Saudi aid, projects to be launched in four provinces and Gilgit Baltistan, which included construction of 3000 houses, 200 water projects, 40 educational institutions and 25 hospitals.

Respect for humanity irrespective of color and caste is one of salient features of its unending global humanitarian aid campaign. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia always stood first to rescue the struggling people from natural catastrophes and national emergencies around the globe. It has been reaching out to the shores of Tanzania to the deserts of Sudan and Yemen for helping the needy people. It has been active on the mountains of Jordan to the plains of Syria to serve the helpless humanity. It has been offering its services of medication, airlift and military medical hospitals to the struggling people around the globe.

Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have strategic partnership with both enjoying genealogical relations that are entrenched in common faith, traditions and commonality of views on all issues of mutual interest. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have always stood by each other in testing times and the people of Pakistan deeply value relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Hopefully, the recent announcement of Saudi Arabian humanitarian assistance to Pakistan would bring a decent change in the lives of needy and poor people living in these areas. It would provide basic necessities of life in terms of better basic and primary education, medical facilities, clean drinking water and above all technical education. Moreover, it would generate more and more new jobs for the local people and turn poverty into prosperity. It would open a new era of social development in these areas of the country.

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