ISLAMABAD, APRIL 18, SPA – The presence of both President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at the Islamabad airport to receive Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister, and Inspector General, was an expression of the warmth between the two countries, an editorial in a leading Pakistani English daily said Tuesday. “Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have been close allies since 1947 and both have helped and supported each other at crucial periods in their history. The prompt and generous assistance extended by Riyadh in the aftermath of the devastating October 8 earthquake was its most recent expression of solidarity with Pakistan,” the editorial appearing in The Nation said. It added that Saudi entrepreneurs have recently made large investments in Pakistan’s steel sector and more investments in other sectors are expected.During his two-day visit to Pakistan, the Crown Prince held comprehensive and wide-ranging discussions with General Musharraf and Aziz, the editorial said adding that the joint declaration indicates that the two sides had in-depth talks on bilateral, regional and international issues.“Expressing the sentiments of the Muslim community worldwide, both emphasized the need for the creation of an independent Palestinian state and expressed anguish over the deteriorating situation in Iraq. The issue of Kashmir, however, remained confined to the expression of resolve by the Pakistani leadership to settle all disputes with India, including Kashmir, through peaceful means.” The editorial said this was compensated however by the address of Crown Prince Sultan at the luncheon hosted by Aziz where he stressed the need to reach “a just and peaceful solution to the issue of Kashmir,” maintaining that Pak-India dialogue was the best way to resolve problems. Over the last few years new challenges have emerged which Saudi Arabia and Pakistan need to deal with jointly, the editorial said. --MORE 1030 Local Time 0730 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/354377