Islamabad, Jul 26 (UNI) Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud will visit Islamabad on Tuesday, in a move seen as resetting of Pak-Saudi relations that had deteriorated last year after Islamabad attempted to strong-arm Riyadh over the Kashmir issue.
Prince Farhan Al-Saud, in his second visit to the country, is to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on bilateral and global issues, the Foreign Office announced on Monday.
"The two foreign ministers will exchange views on the entire gamut of Pak-Saudi ties, and regional and international issues," the FO tweeted, adding that the Saudi official will also call on other dignitaries during his visit.
The Saudi Foreign Minister’s visit comes a week after 62 Pakistani prisoners languishing in Saudi jails were repatriated from Saudi Arabia via a special flight.
The prisoners were brought back home after Prime Minister Imran Khan intervened and arranged funds for their repatriation.
The visit also comes after Imran Khan visited Saudi Arabia in May this year, ostensibly to establish the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council and give strategic direction to bilateral ties – in a visit that helped in great measure to reset bilateral relations that had seen a marked deterioration.
In August last year, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had demanded that the Saudi-led bloc in the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation put pressure on India over Kashmir, or threatened that Pakistan would be ready to go for a session outside the OIC. An angry Saudi Arabia then demanded that cash-strapped Pakistan urgently repay a $US 3 billion loan.
Pakistan’s growing closeness to Turkey and Malaysia, with the three discussing an alternative Islamic bloc had also not gone down well with Riyadh.
The bilateral tension also affected Pakistani migrant labourers. In November last year, the UAE banned Pakistanis from being issued work visas.
Since then, Pakistan has gone all out to mend fences with Riyadh.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia in May, Imran Khan had invited the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and it was agreed that Prince Farhan Al Saud would visit Pakistan as the head of a delegation to prepare for the visit of the Crown Prince, a media report said.
The Saudi Foreign Minister is expected to be in Islamabad on a day-long visit on Tuesday.
UNI RN SHK1712