Prime minister Imran leaves on two-day visit to Saudi, UAE
islamabad — Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday began a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates where he will discuss important issues of bilateral and regional interest with their respective leaders.
Accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain and Adviser for Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, the prime minister will be undertaking the state visit to Saudi Arabia on the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The prime minister will have an audience with King Salman and a bilateral meeting with the crown prince. The king will also host a state banquet for the prime minister at the Royal Court.
Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al Othaimeen will also call on the prime minister.
The prime minister will also pay his respects at the Roza-eRasool
(peace be upon him) and perform Umrah.
The prime minister, along with his delegation, will then proceed to Abu Dhabi on September 19 on the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who will also receive him.
The two leaders will discuss issues of bilateral interest, a statement from the Foreign Office said.
Meanwhile, former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party senior leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Tuesday expressed hope that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Saudi Arabia would be fruitful for the country.
Talking to the media outside the Parliament House, he said, “I hope and wish that the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan would further strengthen bilateral and economic relations between the two brotherly countries”.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf underlined the need for taking stringent measures to arrest the rising inflation in the country. —