Pakistan provides counter-terrorism aid to Oman after mosque attack leaves six dead
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Sharif on Friday offered Pakistan’s help to Oman after six people, including four Pakistanis, were killed and dozens injured at a mosque in Muscat this week, his office said.
The statement came after Sharif met Oman’s Ambassador Fahad Suleiman Khalaf Al Qarshi following the arrival of the body of a Pakistani killed in Monday’s attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State militant group.
The attack began when three militants, brothers of Omani nationality, opened fire on worshippers at a Shiite mosque. Two others killed in the attack included an Indian national and a police officer who responded to the attack.
“The Prime Minister strongly condemned the despicable terrorist attack carried out against Imam Bargha Ali bin Abu Talib in Muscat’s Wadi Kabir area, leaving six people, including four Pakistani nationals, dead and over 30 injured, almost all of whom were Pakistanis,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“While appreciating Oman’s prompt response and cooperation to the Pakistani delegation in repatriating the bodies and treating the injured, the prime minister said Pakistan has itself been a victim of terrorism for the past few decades. The prime minister offered Pakistan’s support to Oman in dealing with the menace of terrorism which must be eliminated in all its forms.”
The statement came hours after the bodies of the four Pakistanis killed in the Muscat mosque attacks were flown to their home country by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and handed over to their families.
Monday night marked the start of Ashura, an annual period of mourning observed by Shiite Muslims to mark the seventh-century death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The activities of ISIS suggest it is attempting to make a comeback after it was wiped out by the U.S.-led coalition after it seized vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria and declared a caliphate. ISIS has also sparked lone wolf attacks by Western countries.
Any expansion into Gulf Arab oil-producing countries such as Oman would raise concerns in Washington and in a region that has long viewed extremist groups as a major threat.
Trade and Investment
According to the statement, during the meeting, the prime minister conveyed his congratulations to King Haitham bin Tariq and reiterated his invitation to the Omani leader to pay an official visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
He expressed Pakistan’s desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially in the areas of trade, investment, energy and defence.
“The prime minister thanked the ambassador for encouraging the trade and investment delegation to visit Pakistan next week and assured that the authorities concerned would fully cooperate with the delegation in pursuit of a win-win outcome,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
“The Ambassador thanked the Prime Minister for his welcome and conveyed the greetings of His Majesty the Sultanate of Oman. The Ambassador reiterated his country’s desire to further strengthen trade and investment ties with Pakistan.”
Pakistan, which narrowly avoided defaulting on its debt last year, is now on a rocky road to economic recovery. The South Asian country recently reached a working-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $7 billion loan.
Apart from the IMF agreement, Islamabad has high-level interactions with several countries, mainly Gulf states, to boost trade and foreign investment in the country to support the South Asian country’s $350 billion economy.
