PM Shehbaz Sharif set to visit Saudi Arabia next week

ISLAMABAD: Newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will leave for Saudi Arabia on April 27 (Wednesday) on his first official trip after assuming the office, ARY News reported on Thursday citing sources.

Well-informed sources told ARY News that the prime minister will arrive in Saudi Arabia on April 27 along with his senior cabinet members. PM Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Saudi Arabia will perform Umrah and meet the Saudi leadership.

In this connection, the foreign minister has started preparations for the premier’s upcoming Saudi Arabia visit, likely to take place next week, they said.

Sources say that details of the PM’s upcoming Saudi Arabia visit will be released in due course of time by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After Saudi Arabia, the prime minister will pay a visit to China, said sources.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud recently felicitated Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the prime minister.

In a statement from the PM’s Office, Salman made a telephone call to PM Shehbaz Sharif and warmly congratulated him on assuming the prime minister’s office.

During the telephonic conversation, the prime minister thanked the Saudi Crown Prince for the felicitations and expressed his resolve to work closely with the Kingdom to enhance and further strengthen bilateral relations between their two countries.

The Saudi crown prince extended his cordial invitation to the prime minister to pay an official visit to the Kingdom, at an early date.

Thanking the crown prince for his gracious invitation, PM Shehbaz also extended an invitation to Salman Bin Abdulaziz to undertake a state visit to Pakistan.