Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir are undertaking an official visit to Saudi Arabia from August 6 to 8, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed (Geo News).
Speaking at the weekly media briefing, the spokesperson said the delegation would also include Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is already in Saudi Arabia after concluding a visit to Jordan.
“PM Shehbaz will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the visit,” the Foreign Office said, adding that talks would focus on strengthening bilateral relations and exchanging views on regional and international developments.
Pakistan continues its diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East and support the peaceful resolution of disputes, the spokesperson said.
The composition of the delegation is the notable part. The prime minister and the army chief travelling together, with the foreign minister already in country, is the configuration Pakistan uses when the agenda spans both economic and security files.
The visit follows Saudi Arabia’s rollover of $5 billion in deposits with the State Bank for a further three years — a decision the central bank governor said would ease pressure on the external account, and which sits within a $12 billion deposit stock of which $8 billion is Saudi, with further rollovers required in December and March.
It also comes with Pakistan co-leading mediation between Washington and Tehran alongside Qatar, and with Saudi Arabia itself drawn into the conflict — the kingdom struck Houthi targets in Hodeidah last week after attacks on its oil tankers and Aramco facilities at Yanbu and Jizan.
