Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman's visit to Pakistan postponed, new date to be finalised soon
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, September 18, 2019. — Reuters/File
- FO spokesperson says new dates will be mutually finalised by both sides.
- Crown prince was invited by PM Shehbaz Sharif in September.
- Islamabad hoped to get a $4.2bn bailout package during crown prince's visit.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Saturday postponed his trip to Pakistan.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, in a brief statement issued in this regard, confirmed that the visit is being rescheduled.
“The new dates will be mutually finalised by the two sides,” she said.
The crown prince was
invited by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on a telephone conversation between the two in September.
It would have been the first visit by the Saudi crown prince to Pakistan after the change of government in Pakistan in April this year.
Islamabad hoped to get a $4.2 billion
bailout package from Riyadh during the Saudi crown prince's visit, diplomatic sources had said.
The Saudi leader’s rare visit was tentatively scheduled for November 21.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia was also expected to make solid investments in Pakistan. Sources also said that a number of Pakistan-Saudi petroleum agreements were being finalised for signing during the visit of his excellency.
The government was also counting on a likely agreement that will help round up financial support from Saudi Arabia for the establishment of a state-of-the-art refinery in Gwadar.
The crown prince had last visited Pakistan in February 2019 during the term of former prime minister Imran Khan.
Foreign Office spokesperson says new dates will be mutually finalised by both sides
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