ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that Riyadh was not currently brokering a peace deal between the Pakistan government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but kept the option of a future Saudi role open.

“Saudi Arabia is not playing any role in the proposed dialogue between Pakistan and TTP,” FO spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said at the weekly media briefing.

It was expected that the government would seek Saudi help for kick-starting peace negotiations during Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal’s visit to Islamabad earlier this week.

The government did ask for Saudi help, at least for countering sectarianism as confirmed by PM’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz. Most sectarian outfits have strong linkages with TTP.

The spokesperson quoted the Saudi foreign minister as ruling out such a role for his country.

However, it was obvious from the spokesperson’s comments that Pakistan desired such an involvement on part of Riyadh.

“People generally look up to Saudi Arabia for contributing to stability and peace in the Muslim world,” she noted, adding that it was for Saudi leadership to decide whether or not they would like to help their regional ally.

“Exactly what role Saudi Arabia plays is up to them,” Ms Aslam added.

In reply to a query about terror financing from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, the spokesperson said the government was busy with strengthening laws on terrorist financing and would look at other issues afterwards.

“When this process (legislation on terror financing) completes, if and when funds come from abroad and they are directed towards terrorist financing, we will be in a better position to deal with that,” she maintained.

The leakage of US diplomatic cables in 2011 revealed that “Islamic charitable” organisations in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates were financing extremist networks in Pakistan. The volume of financing coming from the Gulf region was then estimated in the cables at $100 million a year.

Though Pakistanis failed to get a firm commitment from the Saudi foreign minister on help in initiating peace talks with militant groups, Prince Faisal, however, said that the two countries needed to work together on countering terrorism and preventing Afghanistan from descending into further chaos.