ISLAMABAD: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are expected to arrive here in the federal capital to discuss the prevailing regional situation in the region with the Pakistani leadership.
Both dignitaries — Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan — would be in Islamabad for a one-day state visit.
Al-Jubeir and Abdullah bin Zayed are scheduled to hold meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and important government officials.
According to the Saudi embassy in Islamabad and diplomatic official, topics that would be discussed in the Pakistan-Saudi and Pakistan-UAE meetings include bilateral relations, affairs and situation in the region, including that of Afghanistan and especially Kashmir, as well as global matters.
Separately, in an interview on Sunday, the Saudi ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, had expressed serious concerns on India’s move to revoke the special status of occupied Kashmir — Article 370 — and turn it into a union territory.
The Saudi ambassador had also said the Kingdom supported resolving the Kashmir issue in accordance with international resolutions.
Prior to that, in a notification issued last month by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) from Jeddah, India’s decision to revoke Article 370 in occupied Kashmir was termed a unilateral move.
The OIC had also said it aimed for the Kashmir issue to be resolved through a vote in line with the United Nations’ resolutions and demanded India immediately lift the curfew in Kashmir.
PM Imran, MbS discuss Kashmir
Earlier today, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the situation in Indian occupied Kashmir in a phone call.
The two leaders earlier spoke about the situation in the region in a phone call on August 27, where they discussed the development of the situation in the region and efforts exerted towards it.
The latest phone call was the third one between the prime minister and the Saudi crown prince in three weeks. Tensions are running high in South Asia since India illegally annexed occupied Kashmir on August 5, sparking a strong reaction from Pakistan.
