Amid vow by India to punish Pakistan for Pulwama terror attack and continuous efforts to isolate it, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday began his tour of South Asia and China with a high-profile visit to Islamabad.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has maintained a silence on February 14 dastardly strike by Pak-based JeM that killed 40 CRPF personnel, and Pakistan’s army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa welcomed the crown prince on the red carpet of a military airport at Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad.
Showing a special gesture, Pakistan also sent fighter jets to guide the incoming plane of Prince Mohammed, who is likely to announce investment into the cash-strapped economy. Mr Khan also himself drove the distinguished guest to the Prime Minister’s Official residence.
Saudi Arabia has in recent months extended help to Pakistan amid its dwindling foreign exchange reserves with a $6 billion loan. Islamabad is meanwhile engaged in negotiations for a bailout with the International Monetary Fund.
Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be paying his first State visit to India from Tuesday, February 19-20.
He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers, senior officials and leading Saudi businessmen.
During his visit, the Crown Prince will call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The visit follows the highly successful visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia in April 2016, during which the two countries agreed to further elevate existing strategic partnership.
India and Saudi Arabia have historically enjoyed close and friendly relations anchored in mutually beneficial partnership and extensive people to people contacts, an MEA statement said here.
Saudi Arabia has expressed strong condemnation and denunciation over the explosion that targeted a military convoy in the Indian part of Kashmir claiming dozens of deaths and injuries.
The Foreign ministry said it rejects these cowardly terrorist acts and stands with the ‘friendly Republic of India’ against terrorism and extremism’.(UNI)
