Saudis blackmailed Pakistan, alleges Erdogan.

KUALA LUMPUR/ISLAMABAD -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday alleged that Saudi Arabia threatened Pakistan with extreme measures, which include the imposition of economic sanctions on the country and deportation of its citizens working in the Kingdom, to stop it from attending the Kuala Lumpur Summit. When contacted, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said they were trying to ascertain the veracity of the news report, and would issue a statement when they have all the facts.

The comments regarding the non-participation of Pakistan in the summit were made by the Turkish president in a conversation with journalists in Kuala Lumpur. According to Erdogan, Saudi Arabia also threatened to withdraw $6 billion from Pakistan's central bank and warned of further economic sanctions in case it became part of the event. 'Unfortunately, we see that Saudi Arabia pressures Pakistan. Now, there are promises that the country has given to Pakistan regarding the central bank. However, more than that, there are 4m Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia. They (threaten by saying that they) would send (Pakistanis) back and re-employ Bangladeshi people instead,' Erdogan was quoted as saying by Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah. Responding to another question regarding the absence of Pakistan and Indonesia at the summit, Erdogan said he would have 'liked to see them here as well'.

When it comes to Saudi Arabia's effect in this absence, Erdogan stated that this was not a first for the country since it has the tendency to put pressure on other countries in doing or not doing things. According to Erdogan, due...