Imran to visit Saudi Arabia tomorrow on first foreign trip as PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will leave for Saudi Arabia tomorrow (Sep 18) on official visit after taking charge as chief executive of the country last month.

The official invitation was delivered by Saudi Information Minister Awwad Al-Awwad during his recent visit to Pakistan.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are set to discuss many important bilateral, regional and International issues during the visit. Similarly, matters related to welfare of the Pakistani community in Saudi Arabia and ways to enhance people to people contact are likely to come up for the discussions.

Read: PM, Saudi minister discuss bilateral relations

Foreign Minister, finance minister, adviser to PM on finance and other federal ministers will accompany the prime minister during his visit, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said PM Khan would visit Saudi Arabia in first phase of his trip where he will meet the Saudi leadership. He will then proceed to the United Arab Emirates.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said, “Prime Minister Imran Khan is visiting Riyadh on the invitation Saudi leadership.”

Imran will meet Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense.

The visit comes days after Saudi Information Minister visited Pakistan and met with Prime Minister Khan and other top civil and military officials.

Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdul Aziz had telephoned Khan and felicitated him over his party’s victory in the July 25 general elections.

Qureshi said the Saudi King acknowledged Pakistan’s importance and expressed the desire for close and proactive relationships with Islamabad. He said Imran Khan also extended invitation to the Saudi King to visit Pakistan.

During the conversation, Khan told King Salman bin Abdul Aziz that people of Pakistan hold Saudi Arabia in the highest esteem.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said defense of Harmain Sharifain is part of the faith of every Muslim.

The Saudi Arabian ambassador in Islamabad was the first envoy to call on Imran Khan after last month’s general elections.

In Jeddah, the Council of Ministers last week had also commended the distinguished relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. It stressed the keenness of the two sides to promote and develop bilateral ties in all fields.