Saudi vows to ease Kashmir row
▶ Crown Prince Salman to attend top summit in Islamabad
Saudi Arabia vowed to “de-escalate” rising tensions between Pakistan and India during a high-profile summit in Islamabad Monday as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman prepares to travel from Islamabad to New Delhi.
The kingdom’s foreign minister spoke at a press conference in Islamabad as Pakistan recalled its envoy from New Delhi for “consultations,” the latest development in a fresh diplomatic crisis between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
New Delhi has vowed to retaliate after a suicide blast which killed 41 Indian paramilitaries in Kashmir on Thursday. The attack has sparked widespread calls in India for action against Pakistan.
“Our objective is to try to de-escalate tensions between the two countries, neighboring countries, and to see if there is a path forward to resolving those differences peacefully,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.
The pledge came as the crown prince, widely known as “MBS,” prepared to head for India later Monday, at the conclusion of his two-day visit to Pakistan.
Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947, with both the countries, which have fought three wars, claiming it in its entirety.
The Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammedd claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack, and the vehicle was driven by a known local militant.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) 1267 Committee, which has detailed criteria for the listing and designation procedures for terrorist entities or individuals, has put the Jaishe-Mohammed on the UNSC’s sanctions list against terrorism, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“China firmly opposes and strongly condemns all forms of terrorism and hopes that relevant countries in the region could make joint efforts to combat terrorism and preserve regional peace and security,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing on Friday, when asked about China’s stance on the attack.
India is gathering diplomatic support after the attack and has vowed to “isolate” Pakistan diplomatically in the international community, saying it has “incontrovertible evidence” of Islamabad’s role.
Pakistan has rejected the allegations.
After his arrival late Sunday, MBS signed $20 billion in investment deals with cashstrapped Islamabad and vowed to free thousands of Pakistani prisoners in Saudi custody.
Islamabad is facing a serious balance of payments crisis and hopes the huge deals signed over the crown prince’s two-day visit – seven separate agreements and memorandums of understanding – will boost its struggling economy.
Pakistan has laid on a lavish welcome for the crown prince, including a 21-gun salute, fighter jet escort, and honour guard.
He also received the country’s highest civilian award Monday, the Nishan-e-Pakistan (Order of Pakistan), before heading to India to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
MBS is staging a three-country Asian tour just five months after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a fierce critic, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul ignited a diplomatic crisis.
After India, he is expected to finish with two days in China on Thursday and Friday.