Premier apprises Saudi Crown Prince of IoK situation

JEDDAH: Prime Minister Imran Khan meets crown Prince of Kingdom of Sudia Arabia HRH Mohammad Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz at Jaddah KSA. – PM Office

Prime Minister Imran Khan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and apprised him of the latest developments in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said.

According to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf official Twitter account, the premier “highlighted the tyranny of the Indian government” in occupied Kashmir following New Delhi’s decision to strip the region of its autonomy on August 5. The occupied territory has since been under a strict government-imposed lockdown and communications blackout.

During his meeting with the Saudi prince, the prime minister also condemned the recent attacks in Saudi Arabia on Aramco’s oil facilities, the PMO statement said.

The leadership of both countries discussed ways to strengthen economic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the statement added.

Delegations of both countries during a meeting in Jeddah on Thursday. — PM Office
Delegations of both countries during a meeting in Jeddah. — PM Office

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfikar Bukhari, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood, and Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz.

The prime minister is in Jeddah for a two-day official visit to Saudi Arabia, ahead of his trip to New York for the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

He was received by Makkah Governor Khalid Al-Faisal at the Jeddah Royal Terminal.

Prime Minister Imran has been in “regular contact” with the Saudi crown prince over the issue. The prime minister has, as part of his efforts to draw the world’s attention towards the situation in the Kashmir Valley, called the crown prince earlier this month to brief him over the situation in the region.

The prime minister will also bring up the matter in his speech at the UN General Assembly next week.

As a result of his phone calls to crown princes of UAE and Saudi Arabia, the foreign ministers of both countries visited Islamabad earlier this month and discussed the situation in occupied Kashmir in their meetings with the prime minister, army chief and foreign minister.