–PM Khan to visit UAE on Wednesday eve
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan will depart for a two-day state visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
PM Khan, on his first state visit, will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar and Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdur Razak Dawood.
The visit comes amid the financial crunch situation that Pakistan is facing ahead of its likely formal talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to mitigate the financial crunch. The presence of finance minister and commerce advisor in PM Khan’s delegation gives impetus to media reports which suggested that Pakistan has sought financial assistance from Saudi Arabia to manage its finances.
The capital is rife with information about an understanding reached between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under which Saudi Arabia would provide $12 billion to Pakistan for increasing its foreign exchange reserves.
According to documents available with Pakistan Today, the prime minister would directly land in Madinah on Tuesday evening and would depart for Jeddah the same night after visiting Masjid-e-Nabvi (PBUH). In Jeddah, PM Khan would engage with the Saudi royal family while his cabinet members would hold separate meetings with their Saudi counterparts.
PM Khan will also call on King Salman and hold a meeting with the crown prince. The king will host a state banquet for the prime minister at the royal court. Accompanying ministers will also meet their counterparts to discuss bilateral cooperation. During the visit, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al Othaimeen will also call on the prime minister. Further, PM Khan will also perform Umrah.
PM TO VISIT UAE:
PM Khan will reach Abu Dhabi on the evening of September 19 and will be received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who had invited him for a visit. The two leaders will discuss matters of mutual interest.
The state visits will provide a new impetus to Pakistan’s brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and UAE.
