'Chor chor': Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif greeted in Saudi Arabia with chants calling him thief

A video showing hundreds of pilgrims shouting "chor chor" (thieves) at Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's delegation while it made way to Masjid-e-Nawabi in Madina, has gone viral online. Police reportedly later made arrests for violating sanctity.

In a video, Pakistan's Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and member of the National Assembly Shahzain Bugti were seen along with others. According to aPakistani newspaper, Aurangzeb indirectly blamed ousted Imran Khan for the protest.

"I will not name this person on this holy land because I do not want to use this land for politics. But they have destroyed the [Pakistani] society," The Express Tribune quoted Aurangzeb as saying.

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Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif is on a three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia. Dozens of Pakistani officials and political leaders have accompanied Sharif.

Taking to Twitter and sharing the video, netizens wrote, "Proud Pakistanis, please be heartened by witnessing what a wonderful welcome our PM and his Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) gang of criminals got in Saudi Arabia."

Another Twitter user, Muhammad Ibrahim Qazi said that Saudi Arabia citizens are calling out ousted PM Imran Khan.

"Citizens of Saudi Arabia are calling out Ousted PM Imran Khan to have exported the moral obscenity to the Prophet`s Mosque in Madinah. They are also condemning Pakistanis for violating the Kingdom`s laws," Qazi said.

Sharif was sworn in as Pakistan`s 23rd Prime Minister on April 11 after his predecessor Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote.

During his Saudi Arabia visit, Sharif is likely to seek additional package of USD 3.2 billion from Saudi Arabia. He is understood to be going to make this request to Saudi Arabia to prevent further depletion of Pakistan's foreign currency reserves.

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Saudi Arabia had already given USD 3 billion deposits to the debt-ridden country and an oil facility on deferred payment worth USD 1.2 billion during Imran Khan`s tenure. Estimates say Pakistan requires USD 12 billion to prevent the balance of payment crisis and further depletion of the foreign currency reserves.

(With inputs from agencies)