Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has postponed his visit to Pakistan for undisclosed reasons, casting a shadow over Islamabad’s anticipated event aimed at securing increased investments and agreements with its ally.
Mohammed bin Salman was scheduled to visit Pakistan on May 19 but reports indicate that the visit has been postponed to a later date while both countries finalize a mutually agreed-upon schedule.
Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zehra Baloch stated on Friday that details about the rescheduled visit will be disclosed once the schedule is finalized, expressing confidence that the visit will occur soon.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has met with bin Salman twice in the past five weeks, with the crown prince’s visit being highly anticipated as his first to Pakistan in five years, dating back to February 2019 under former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tenure.
Pakistan has eagerly awaited the Saudi crown prince’s visit, expecting it to bring substantial investments into various sectors and foster significant bilateral agreements to enhance trade and defense cooperation. This comes at a crucial time as Pakistan grapples with economic challenges, seeking avenues to address its financial difficulties.
