The Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud will visit Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations as well as “regional and international issues” with his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud will visit Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations as well as “regional and international issues” with his Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. “The two foreign ministers will exchange views on the entire gamut of Pak-Saudi ties, and regional and international issues,” the FO tweeted, adding that the Saudi official will also call on other dignitaries during his visit.
On the invitation of FM @SMQureshiPTI, FM of KSA, H.H. @FaisalbinFarhan will visit Pakistan on 27 July. The two FMs will exchange views on the entire gamut of 🇵🇰-🇸🇦 ties, and regional and int’l issues. Saudi FM will also call on other dignitaries.@KSAmofaEN@PakinSaudiArab
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 26, 2021
According to Radio Pakistan, Prince Faisal will be accompanied by a Saudi government delegation comprised of top officials.
The state broadcaster quoted FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri as saying that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have “long-standing and historic fraternal relations, rooted deep in common faith, shared history and mutual support.”
“The relationship is marked by close cooperation in all fields and mutual collaboration on regional and international issues,” he added.
As a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Contact Group on Kashmir, Saudi Arabia has “steadfastly supported the Kashmir cause,” according to Chaudhri.
He described the ” frequent high-level visits” by Saudi officials as “a key feature of the relationship that serves to further deepen and broaden the relationship [between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia] in myriad dimensions”.
Repatriation of prisoners
The Saudi FM’s visit comes around a week after 62 Pakistani prisoners were flown back to Pakistan on a special flight from Saudi Arabia.
The prisoners were sent home after Prime Minister Imran Khan intervened and provided money for their repatriation, according to a previous report.
“On my instructions, funds were arranged & a special flight brought back 62 prisoners from KSA today, so they could be back with their families for Eid,” the prime minister had tweeted, announcing the prisoners’ return.
In May, the then-special assistant to the prime minister on overseas Pakistanis stated that Islamabad and Saudi Arabia had reached an agreement to return nearly 2,000 Pakistani prisoners held in Saudi prisons.
Furthermore, the government announced last month that a $1.5 billion Saudi oil facility will be available annually.
