Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman likely to visit Pakistan next month

Islamabad: The much-anticipated visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman to Pakistan is likely to take place in the first week of October, media reports said on Tuesday.

Pakistan has been pushing for a visit from the Saudi de facto ruler for months, The Express Tribune reported.

The Saudi crown prince visited India recently to attend the G20 Summit followed by a state visit. There were reports that the Saudi leader might make a brief stopover in Islamabad but later the plan was shelved.

Sources said the foreign office suggested that instead of Saudi crown prince making a stopover for a few hours, it was better that he would be invited for a state visit on separate dates, The Express Tribune reported.

Both sides were in contact with each other to finalise the dates for the visit. It is expected that the Saudi ruler may visit in the first week of October. Because of the likely visit of the Saudi crown prince, Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar postponed his trip to Saudi Arabia.

He was earlier supposed to travel to Saudi Arabia before leaving for the UN General Assembly Session in New York, The Express Tribune reported.