ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will leave for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday on a three-day visit.

The March 4-6 visit on the ‘special invitation’ of King Salman Bin Abulaziz Al Saud is being described as the first official visit by Mr Sharif to the kingdom since becoming prime minister in June 2013.

He undertook a number of unofficial visits earlier to the kingdom, including two in January.

King Salman had asked Mr Sharif to visit him in the first week of March.

The Saudi government has launched frenzied diplomatic contacts because of regional developments. Over the past few days, Egyptian and Turkish presidents visited Riyadh. According to media reports, talks with Egyptian and Turkish leaders focused on regional threats.

The prime minister will be accompanied by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and PM’s special assistants Tariq Fatemi and Irfan Siddiqui.

“The official visit of the prime minister will provide an opportunity to the leadership of the two countries to discuss issues of mutual interest and concern in the global and regional context and further strengthen our close bilateral relations,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Published in Dawn March 4th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

Property valuation
Updated 31 Oct, 2024

Property valuation

Market valuation rates will not help boost tax revenues without plugging such loopholes in the system.
Hitting a wall
31 Oct, 2024

Hitting a wall

PAKISTAN still has a long way to go in defeating polio. Despite our decades-long fight against the debilitating...
Kurram violence
31 Oct, 2024

Kurram violence

DESPITE years of intermittent and bloody conflict in Kurram, the state has been unable to bring lasting peace to ...
Court business
Updated 30 Oct, 2024

Court business

The unity and commonality of purpose on display in the full court meeting are what will help the SC endure.
UNRWA ban
30 Oct, 2024

UNRWA ban

NOT content with the war of extermination it is executing against the Palestinian people, Israel now wants to ensure...
Cricket changes
30 Oct, 2024

Cricket changes

WIN or lose, Pakistan cricket seems to be embroiled in a constant state of flux. Just when things seemed to be...