Saudi Arabia denies pressurising Pakistan into withdrawing from Kuala Lampur Summit

• Saudi Arabia said in a statement that relations between it and Pakistan are superior to the language of threat.
• "Pakistan did not participate in summit as time and efforts were needed to address concerns of major Muslim countries regarding possible division in the Ummah," Pakistan's statement said.

Saudi Arabia dismissed on Saturday the reports that Saudi Arabia 'pressurised' and 'threatened' Pakistan to refrain from participating in the Kuala Lampur Summit and termed it as 'fake news'.

Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported on Friday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Pakistan decided not to attend the recently concluded Kuala Lumpur summit because of Saudi Arabia's threats of economic sanctions.

"Unfortunately, we see that Saudi Arabia pressures Pakistan. Now, there are promises that the country has given to Pakistan regarding the central bank. However, more than that, there are four million Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia. They threaten by saying that they would send Pakistanis back and re-employ Bangladeshis instead,” the Turkish newspaper reported.

In a statement issued today, the Saudi embassy stated that the relations between the countries are superior to the language of threat."The brotherly relations between the countries are long-standing and strategic based on trust, understanding and mutual respect," the statement further said.

Affirming the relations between Pakistan and the kingdom, the statement added that Saudi Arabia has always stood with Pakistan during difficult times, local media reported."We strive always to stand with Pakistan to be a successful and stable country," the embassy added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan too has issued a statement and said that it did not participate in the Kuala Lampur Summit 'as time and efforts were needed to address the concerns of major Muslim countries regarding possible division in the Ummah.

"Pakistan will continue to work for the unity and solidarity of the Ummah, which is indispensable for effectively addressing the challenges faced by the Muslim world," the Pakistan's Foreign Office said.