New Delhi: The face-saver came later, after the media highlighted the omissions in the joint statement of PM Modi and the Saudi Crown Prince. Making belated amends, Saudi Arabia Minister of Foreign Affairs said people involved in terror attacks should not just be blacklisted but tried and punished; and if there is evidence against the Jaish and its leader Masood Azhar, he must be listed as a global terrorist at the UN.
Adel Al-Jubeir explained that the Saudi-Pakistan joint statement, which referred to “the need for avoiding the politicisation of the UN listing regime,” was not with reference to Azhar. Asked about rising tension between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama attack, he said Saudi Arabia believed that both countries can de-escalate and resolve issues peacefully. “We hope tension between India and Pakistan will not escalate.
You have wise leadership in both the countries represented by respective prime ministers. I believe they will be able to find a way to de-escalate,” the Saudi Foreign Minister told NDTV. He also underscored that Saudi will not engage between the two sparring neighbours without being invited by both the countries
