Sheikh Saleh bin Muhammad Bin Talib, the imam (prayer leader) of Makkah's Grand Mosque, met Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad on Saturday.

During his meeting, the Imam thanked the premier for the warm welcome accorded to him in the country and discussed ways religious leaders and scholars can counter negative propaganda that 'wrongly portrays' Islam.

The prime minister said relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have become "closer and stronger" and that the people of both countries have a lot of respect for each other, said a press release issued by his secretariat.

Sharif also emphasised that Islam posits a message of love, peace, patience, forgiveness and respect for humanity, and it is the need of the hour to spread this message all over the world.

The prime minister also told Sheikh Saleh that the people of Pakistan attach great religious and spiritual attachment with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia due to the Holy Kaabah.

Habeebullah Al-Bokhari, the acting ambassador of Saudi Arabia, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, the federal minister for religious affairs and other senior officials were also present during the meeting.

Sheikh Saleh had delivered the Friday sermon at the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam's centenary celebrations in the Azakhel area of Nowshera, where he emphasised the need for Muslims to unite.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have enjoyed a strong bond with each other in the past, but the relationship has seen its ups and downs.

It was reported in the Saudi Gazette in February 2017 that more than 39,000 Pakistanis had been deported from the KSA in the past four months.

Ex-Army chief General Raheel Sharif's appointment as the leader of the Saudi military alliance is another matter that rests great importance on the bilateral relations between the two countries.