Daily Times

Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Sunday said the revival of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran would yield positive results in the region.

He, in an exclusive talk with APP, said the ease of diplomatic row between two brotherly countries would help to reduce the problems and sufferings of Islamic world.

Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council appreciated the efforts of Chinses President XI Jinping to bring Saudi Arabia and Iran closer. As per reports, the Iran and Saudi Arabia had agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies within two months, he added. He said both of the countries had agreed to revive agreements made in 2001 and 1998 regarding security and trade. “The most important thing is that the two countries would not interfere in the internal affairs of one other,” he maintained. He said this news had spurred a wave of happiness in the Muslim Ummah as it would help dismantle the nefarious designs of enemies who tried to create conflict between the Muslim countries on the basis of sectarianism.

Shedding light on the background of this new development, he asserted that during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia a couple of months ago, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman requested the former to bridge the gap with Iran.

Ashrafi said the Arab world had termed the crown prince the ‘leader of peace’ due to his peace-building measures between the two brotherly countries. He said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following the footprints of King Salman bin Abdulaziz had given a new vision not only to Saudi Arabia but to all the Muslim world by making all-out efforts to unite them at one platform. He said that whether it was the matter of Palestine or Kashmir, the Muslim world should sit together and devise a combined strategy to meet all the challenges being faced by the Muslim Ummah on the globe. He expressed the hope that this constructive step would further strengthen fraternal ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran and bring peace and stability in Yemen, Syria and in the days to come ahead.