Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Saudi Arabia on November 11 (Monday) to attend the Second Joint Arab Islamic Summit being held in Riyadh.
During her weekly press briefing, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that at the summit, the PM will reiterate Pakistan’s full support to the Palestinian cause and will call for immediate end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“The PM will call for an urgent and unconditional ceasefire and immediate cessation of the ongoing Israeli adventurism in the region that is endangering security of the countries in the Middle East,” the spokesperson said.
Baloch further said Pakistan will also call for the establishment of an independent State of Palestine on the borders of 4 June 1967, with Quds Al Sharif as its capital.
The Summit is being convened at the initiative of government of Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation in the Middle East and will be a follow up to the Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit held on 11th of November last year in Riyadh to discuss the situation in Gaza and other occupied territories, she added.
Govt sends special delegation to KSA following PM’s visit
The Heads of State and governments and senior officials from Arab League and the OIC member countries are expected to participate in the Summit.
“On the sidelines of the Summit, the Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from other Arab League and OIC member states,” the spokesperson said.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia last week, Prime Minister Sharif held meetings with Saudi Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman and Saudi Minister for Investment, Khalid al-Falihand and discussed investment related issues.
Later on, Saudi Investment minister in a chat with media said that various Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) have been enhanced to 34 from 27 signed in Islamabad, consequently the volume of projected investment has also increased to $ 2.80 billion from $ 2.2 billion.
On Wednesday, well informed sources told Business Recorder that the PM had sent a special delegation led by Minister for Power Sardar Awais Khan Leghari to Saudi Arabia to convert the MoUs worth $ 2.8 billion into legally binding contracts and sort out longstanding issues of K-Electric.
The sources said one of the key issues between Islamabad and Riyadh is unsettled issues of K-Electric, which are haunting future prospects of Saudi investment. The issue of KE was also raised during the visit of Saudi delegation last month.
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