PM IMRAN TO ARRIVE IN SAUDI ARABIA FOR TALKS ON BETTER TIES

Fri 07 May 2021:

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has started a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia, a traditional ally but with whom relations have been strained recently.

Khan’s arrival in Riyadh on Friday after an invitation from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman holds much significance, analysts say. While Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have historically been close allies, their strong ties have suffered several setbacks.

According to a statement on Thursday, consultations with the Saudi leadership will cover all areas of bilateral cooperation including economic, trade, investment, energy, job opportunities for Pakistani workforce, and welfare of Pakistani diaspora.

“The two sides will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest. A number of bilateral agreements/MoUs are expected to be signed during the visit,” it read.

During his stay in the kingdom, Khan will also meet Yousef Al-Othaimeen, secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the imams of the two holy mosques in Makkah and Medina.

Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa is already in Saudi Arabia for meetings with civilian and military leadership. He met Gen. Fayiadh Bin Hamed Al Rowaily, chief of general staff Saudi Armed Forces, in Riyadh on Wednesday.

In August last year, Pakistan accused the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a bloc of 57 Muslim-majority countries led by Saudi Arabia – of inaction over New Delhi’s decision to strip Indian-administered Kashmir of its special status in 2019.

With Kashmir being a key policy issue for Pakistan, Khan threatened to hold a rival meeting that would bypass the OIC – a move perceived as a challenge to Saudi Arabia’s leadership role in the Muslim world.

Riyadh responded by withdrawing $1bn of a $3bn interest-free loan it extended to Pakistan in 2018, at a time when the South Asian nation was suffering dire economic conditions.

Although the issue was patched up within days, the diplomatic spat threatened to derail the Islamabad-Riyadh alliance.

Prior to that, tensions were high over Pakistan’s refusal to send its troops to fight in the Saudi-led coalition’s war against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen in 2015.

Despite the countries enjoying strong military ties, with Pakistan regularly providing troops and military training to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan chose to remain neutral in Yemen’s war.

Pakistan’s New Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Lieutenant General (retd) Bilal Akbar, in an interview with the Saudi media, said a meeting related to prisoners’ release will be held during PM Imran Khan’s visit whereas the release of prisoners will be expedited with Saudi Arabia’s cooperation.

Back in February 2019, the premier had requested the Saudi crown prince to release Pakistani prisoners in Saudi jails during his visit to the country.

The visits are viewed as part of ongoing efforts to mend ties between the two long-time allies, which have been strained in recent years by a series of events, including Pakistan’s refusal to join the Riyadh-led war in Yemen, and the kingdom’s lukewarm support for Islamabad’s stand on the long-standing Kashmir dispute.

Khan’s visit is also expected to focus on the treatment of the 2.5 million Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia and on enhancing economic ties with the Arab world’s largest economy.

“I look forward to my visit to Saudi Arabia and hope my interaction with the Saudi leadership will further strengthen our bilateral relations and will open further avenues for building a strong economic partnership,” Khan wrote in the Saudi daily Arab News.

In 2018, Saudi Arabia extended a $6 billion financial package to Pakistan to shore up its depleting foreign reserves. But relations deteriorated to the extent that Islamabad had to borrow $1 billion from Beijing to repay Riyadh a part of the soft loan. On previous occasions Riyadh had either rolled over the loan or converted into grant.

Saudi Arabia is home to more than two million Pakistanis, and remains the largest source of remittances to Pakistan.

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