ISLAMABAD: Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Second Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad bin Salman, who is also Minister of Defence, is dashing to Islamabad tomorrow (Sunday) for a day visit.
Prince Muhammad bin Salman, who is son of King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and is viewed as the most powerful man in the Kingdom, would have important meetings here. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif will be among his interlocutors besides Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif who will be minister in waiting for the Crown Prince and will receive him at the Nur Khan Airbase.
The visit is being viewed as conspicuously significant, as he would be the first member of the Royal family who is visiting Pakistan in about a year and making the venture soon after the trip by the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Adel Ahmed Al-Jubeir on Thursday.
According to the initial plan, he would stay in Islamabad for a day but it has been speculated that his visit could also be converted into working one like his foreign minister. Prince Muhammad bin Salman will carry an exclusive message from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul Aziz for the host leadership, the sources said.
It is understood that the role of Pakistan in the Islamic military alliance formed by Saudi Arabia to fight against terrorism would also be discussed in the meeting here and Rawalpindi. Initially, the alliance comprised 34 states but now it has risen to 37. Saudi Arabia is hosting the conference of military alliance member states’ defence ministers in Riyadh later this month.
It is expected that the crown prince would invite Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and some other dignitaries to attend the conference. Diplomatic observers attach importance to the visit in the backdrop of developments taking place in the region, especially in ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Interestingly, Saudi Arabia’s Assistant Defence Minister for Military Affairs Muhammad Bin Abdullah Al-Ayish who visited Pakistan last week has returned to Riyadh. He also visited the General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi during his stay here and called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif.
During the meeting, matters related to regional security and bilateral defence collaboration, including training exchanges, came under discussion. Meanwhile, sources in the Prime Minister House told The News that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who proceeds to Lahore on weekend has altered his schedule and opted to stay back in the federal capital for a high level meeting that took place on Friday after Juma prayers at the Prime Minister’s House. It was also attended by the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif and Director General ISI Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar Malik. The change in the prime minister’s routine has come about due to the scheduled of the visit by Saudi Crown Prince, the sources added.http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/89082-Saudi-crown-prince-due-on-high-profile-visit-tomorrow
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