Saudi Arabia’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed al-Jubeir is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on a one-day visit on Wednesday [tomorrow]. Additionally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Wednesday.
Ahmed al-Jubeir and Al Nahyan are expected to hold meetings with PMImran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
The announcement of the Saudi foreign minister’s visit comes after his meeting with Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz in Riyadh this past Sunday. The topmost agenda of the meeting is expected to be the regional situation in South Asia and deteriorating ties with India.
Al-Jubeir earlier paid a daylong visit to Islamabad in March as part of Riyadh’s efforts to seek de-escalation in tensions between Pakistan and India. He met PM Khan, FM Qureshi and army chief General Bajwa to convey an ‘important message’ from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to Pakistan’s civil and military leadership.
Earlier, Pakistan PM Imran Khan held a telephonic conversation with Mohammad bin Salman and informed the Saudi crown prince of the prevailing situation in Kashmir valley.
According to experts, Islamabad is in contact through diplomatic and backdoor channels with a number of Islamic countries as part of its efforts to accumulate support on the Kashmir crisis and to force the Indian government to lift the curfew and communication blockade from the valley.