Saudi Prince orders release of 850 Indian Prisoners at PM Narendra Modi’s request

February 22, 2019:

PM Modi on Tuesday broke protocol to personally receive the Saudi prince and welcomed him with a warm hug at Palam airport.

Marking another significant point in India- Saudi Arabia ties, Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has ordered the release of 850 Indian prisoners lodged in jails in his country on the request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, read a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Along with the release of the prisoners, the External Affairs Ministry said the Saudi Crown Prince has also announced the increase in quota for Indian Haj pilgrims to 2 lakh at the request of PM Modi.

"Another big deliverable! At the request of the PM @narendramodi, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has ordered the release of 850 Indian prisoners lodged in Saudi jails," Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Saudi Crown Prince arrived in India on Tuesday a day after his visit to Pakistan.

In a special gesture which emphasises the importance India attaches to its gulf partner (Saudi Arabia) PM Modi on Tuesday broke protocol to personally receive the Saudi prince and welcomed him with a warm hug at Palam airport.

In the next leg of his Asia tour, the Saudi Crown Prince will go to China. Source Link