Saudi Arabia has agreed to consider deferring Pakistani oil payments, said Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani here Sunday. Pakistan imports about 250,000 barrels a day from Saudi Arabia. Rising oil prices have upped Pakistan's oil bill by more than 40 percent in some 10 months. Addressing a gathering of Pakistan community members at the Pakistan International School (English Section), Gilani said overseas Pakistanis will now also be considered for Senate. At present overseas Pakistanis can fight for only National Assembly seats. He was accompanied by Pakistan People's Party Co-Chairman Asif Zardari, Pakistani Ambassador to the Kingdom Shahid Karimullah, diplomatic representatives, federal ministers and delegates. “We have cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the fields of economy, defense, science and technology, real estate development and education,” said Gilani, who arrived in the Kingdom on a three-day official visit Friday. He met King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saturday. Pakistan Ambassador Shahid Karimullah requested the prime minister to allow issuing of 72 to 100-page passport booklets to Pakistani businessmen. In response to a question that the education level in Pakistan was “very low,” Premier Gilani said more opportunities were being given to educational institutions to open their branches in different regions of Pakistan. The newly constructed auditorium of PISJ which has been named “Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Memorial Auditorium,” was formally inaugurated by Asif Ali Zardari. __
