"Pakistan underscores adherence to the rule of law and respect for national sovereignty," the FO said in a statement
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday expressed solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and recognised its efforts and measures to ensure the conviction and sentencing of the individuals responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
The statement from the Foreign Office was issued after a US government report held top Saudi officials responsible for the murder of the journalist.
Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post critical of the Saudi government's policies, was killed and dismembered by an assault team in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
“We have taken note of the public release of the US Administration’s declassified intelligence report, containing its ‘assessment’ on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement issued here.
Read more:Saudi Arabia government rejects US intelligence report on Jamal Khashoggi murder
It added: “We have also noted that the Saudi government termed Jamal Khashoggi’s murder as an ‘abhorrent crime’ and a ‘flagrant violation’ of the Kingdom’s laws and values.”
The Saudi government has further underlined that it took all possible measures within its legal system to ensure that the individuals responsible were properly investigated, convicted and sentenced and that justice was served, the spokesperson mentioned.
“Pakistan recognizes Saudi efforts in this regard and expresses solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he added.
“Pakistan underscores adherence to the rule of law, respect for national sovereignty, and protection and promotion of human rights by all states, in accordance with their respective Constitutional frameworks and international obligations,” the spokesperson maintained.