ISLAMABAD — It seems like the raging political turmoil in the country is taking its toll on Pakistan’s diplomatic ties with various countries, especially brotherly Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia.
In one such development on Saturday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan was postponed. Pakistan’s newly-appointed Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed the development and said the new date for the Saudi dignitary’s visit would be announced soon.
The Saudi crown prince was scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on November 21 on his second official trip to the country. During his first visit in 2019, the two countries signed investment deals worth $21 billion.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced last month that the Saudi crown prince would visit Pakistan soon. In addition, Sharif had said that Crown Prince Salman was willing to support development projects in Pakistan and invest $10 billion in an oil refinery in the South Asian country.
Sharif’s remarks came days after he concluded a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia during which the two leaders decided to boost bilateral relations. “He (crown prince) was ready to do anything for [the betterment of] people of Pakistan,” Sharif had said.
“I want all of you to welcome him warmly because he comes from a brotherly country,” he added.
The Saudi crown prince had visited Pakistan in February 2019 when Imran Khan was the prime minister of Pakistan. During his visit, the inaugural session of the Saudi-Pak Supreme Coordination Council was held.
The council was formed to put in place a high-level institutional mechanism to fast-track decisions in key areas of bilateral cooperation, and for close monitoring of their implementation.