Saudi FM arriving with message from crown prince

Published
8
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says his Saudi counterpart will be arriving in Islamabad today with a message from Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. ─ DawnNewsTV
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says his Saudi counterpart will be arriving in Islamabad today with a message from Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. ─ DawnNewsTV

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir will be arriving in Pakistan on Friday, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told reporters that the Saudi envoy was coming to Pakistan with a special message from Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

Qureshi said he had spoken to his Saudi counterpart over the telephone last night. "He expressed a wish to come to Pakistan, which I welcomed," he said.

"The Saudi [state] foreign minister will be coming to Pakistan with a message from Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman," Qureshi added.

'PM Khan ready to talk to Modi'

Separately, in an exclusive interview with Geo News, Qureshi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is "ready to talk to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the telephone to offer him peace. Is Modi ready for it?"

"We are ready for every eventuality. If they give priority to peace, we are ready for peace. If they prioritise dialogue, we are ready for dialogue," Qureshi said.

The foreign minister also confirmed the receipt of India's dossier on the Pulwama attack. "Let's talk together on the basis of the dossier," he continued. "I am ready to talk. You want to talk about terrorism, I am ready. You want to talk about peace, I am ready. You want to make it a common challenge, I am ready."

"What actually do you want? Do you want to disrupt regional stability for politics? Do you want to waste innocent lives? This is not a wise strategy. This is neither wisdom, nor statesmanship."

'Happy for Trump's intervention'

He also welcomed US President Donald Trump's announcement today that he believes the Pak-India conflict is going to be coming to an end after Washington's efforts "in trying to have them stop".

"I am happy that President Trump has, gauging the seriousness of the situation, decided to intervene," the foreign minister said.

"Pakistan has long-standing ties with the US, and America's intervention can prove to be helpful for regional peace," Qureshi added.

The foreign minister reiterated that Pakistan had, since the escalation of recent tensions with India, been calling for peace and making it clear that India's attempts to spread regional unrest are a result of the demands of its internal politics and upcoming elections.

"Now Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are saying themselves that by conducting such strikes in Pakistan, they would get 22 more seats in Lok Sabha."

Read more: Politician says Indian incursion into Pakistan will help BJP win 22 seats in Karnataka

The statements came hours after Pakistan carried out air strikes and shot down two Indian jets, a day after Indian warplanes violated the Line of Control.

On Wednesday, the US and rest of the international community urged Pakistan and India to exercise restraint and refrain from escalating tensions. Pakistan has maintained that it wants peace.

The US and other countries want both Islamabad and Delhi to deescalate tensions and avoid further military action.

Opinion

Editorial

Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...
Terror and politics
Updated 29 Sep, 2026

Terror and politics

There is an urgent need to tone down the rhetoric and tackle terrorism as a collective challenge for both the affected provinces and the federation.
Watching the glaciers
29 Sep, 2026

Watching the glaciers

THE latest signs from Pakistan’s mountains are worrying. Suparco says the number of unfrozen glacial lakes it...
Dangerous agenda
29 Sep, 2026

Dangerous agenda

AS the world remains fixated on the US-Iran conflict, elsewhere in the Middle East, Israel is consolidating its grip...