ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for a two-day official visit where he will meet Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and attend the Saudi Future Investment Initiative Summit.

The prime minister is undertaking the visit on the invitation of Crown Prince bin Salman. At the airport, the prime minister was received by Riyadh Governor Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

“During his stay in Riyadh, the prime minister would hold consultations with the Saudi crown prince to review the longstanding fraternal relations, with a view to further strengthening the multifaceted cooperation, especially in the economic field,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Earlier, an official said the prime minister would highlight investment opportunities in Pakistan during the summit as he is one of the key speakers.

Shehbaz condemns ‘anti-state slogans raised at a conference, vows to end polio in Pakistan

The conference’s theme is “Investing in Humanity: Enabling a New Global Order”. The event being held in Riyadh has been an annual feature since 2017.

The prime minister is also likely to meet Saudi leaders on the sidelines of the conference.

Prior to his departure, Mr Sharif called for “new thinking” and “bold vision” to overcome the challenges faced by the global economy.

“I am leaving for Saudi Arabia today on the invitation of HRH Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to attend the Future Investment Initiative Summit. The present state of the global economy needs new thinking & bold vision to overcome the irritants & forge new paths,” the prime minister tweeted.

He added that there were serious concerns about the threat of recession and the Covid-19 pandemic and “climate-induced disasters” have put strains on the developing countries.

“High time the world explored solutions to the deepening challenges through candid dialogue,” he added.

PM condemns ‘anti-state slogans’

Earlier, the prime minister condemned the slogans raised against the state institutions at a conference in Lahore on Sunday and stressed the need to display responsibility in public.

According to a press release by PM Office’s Media Wing, the prime minister regretted the use of such forums for political purposes and targeting state institutions. He added that these forums present an opportunity to the people to express views and difference of opinion on issues of public importance.

PM vows to end polio

In a separate development, the prime minister also expressed his government’s resolve to completely eradicate polio from the country.

In his message on the World Polio Day, the prime minister regretted that Pakistan was one of the nations where the virus was still crippling children.

“Polio is a deadly virus that disables children, stunts their future & undermines national progress. [It is unfortunate that polio still exists in our country. On #WorldPolioDay today, I reiterate my government’s unflinching resolve to get rid of this virus through renewed efforts,” he tweeted.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2022