Cash- strapped Pakistan rolls out red carpet for Saudi Crown Prince
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Pakistan on Sunday on a two- day visit as Islamabad rolled out the red carpet to receive him. Prime Minister Imran Khan received the prince on his arrival at Noor Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi. He was presented a 21- gun salute by a contingent of the armed forces amid much fanfare in the capital.
Islamabad has booked 300 super luxury Toyota Land Cruiser Prado vehicles for the royal visit. He will hold key one- on- one meetings with PM Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi and Chief of the Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa as both countries seek to capitalise on the fresh momentum in ties due to a flurry of recent contacts at the leadership level.
Billboards featuring pictures of the crown prince and greetings about Pak- Saudi ties were put up across the city to welcome the visiting dignitary. Besides, a troupe of folk musicians and cultural dancers staged a show to receive him.
Strict security measures were formulated and implemented across
the federal capital and Rawalpindi. The army, Rangers and police will handle the security for the visit.
The police has set up pickets at all the entry and exit points of the city and check posts have been set up on main roads. The Red Zone has been completely sealed and a separate traffic plan has been issued for the joint cities.
Islamabad has termed his visit a “historical one” which is expected to stabilise the crippling economy of the country. Matters pertaining to trade and investment in various sectors including energy will be discussed in the meetings.
Pakistani officials have already flagged up that Saudi Arabia will announce seven investment agreements related to energy, tourism, minerals, petrochemicals, hotel industry events, and a $ 10 billion oil refinery and petrochemicals complex in the coastal city of Gwadar, where China is building a port.
Gwadar is the nerve centre of China- Pakistan Economic Corridor ( CPEC) which has manifested investors' confidence in the economy of Pakistan as the multi- billion dollar project is poised to bring massive investment in the country.