We regret to observe that the March 29 Mai Yamani article titled "Saudi Arabia's diplomatic pilgrimage to Pakistan" is unfounded and based on speculation and conjecture.
Pakistan enjoys excellent relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran. These relations are historically embedded in principles of mutual respect and noninterference.
The president of Pakistan most recently refreshed these principles at the Quadrilateral Summit to mark the Nawroz Festival, with heads of state from Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, when he visited Kabul on March 27.
For the benefit of readers, let me say that JETRO [Japan External Trade Organization] recently determined that Pakistan, as a country, has the second-highest potential for investments in the world. Pakistan is also a declared N-11 [Next Eleven, first coined by Goldman Sachs in 2005] economy with investment-friendly policies.
The transparency and high voter turnout have been acknowledged and praised by the Election Observer Mission designated by the Japanese government.
Pakistan is a progressive, modern and democratic state with strong national institutions, while its armed forces are bound by the constitution and have made unparalleled and unprecedented sacrifices in the global war against global terrorism, which need no further explanation. Without such sacrifices and in the absence of such a valiant resolve by Pakistan, this would indeed be a very different story.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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