ISLAMABAD - Pakistan is in contact with Saudi Arabia for early visit of Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS) after he postponed the expected trip this month. The Saudi crown prince was expected to visit Pakistan this month although no schedule was announced and November 21 was seen as the possible date of his arrival. The expected visit was, however, postponed amid growing political unrest in Pakistan due to long march by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The Saudi crown prince also postponed his visit to India. He will now only visit the Indonesian city of Bali for the G20 summit. Last week, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari paid a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia to give the final touches to arrangements for Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Muhammad Bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan. The Saudi crown prince was expected to announce an additional bailout package of $ 4.2 billion for Pakistan.
Diplomatic sources said the new date for the Saudi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan would be announced soon. “We are in contact with the Saudi government for the visit of the Saudi prince. It is important in many ways,” said a senior diplomat, citing the financial challenges faced by Pakistan. Another diplomat told The Nation that Pakistan was optimistic about the rescheduled visit of the Saudi prince in the near future. “The visit will be rescheduled. It has not been cancelled,” he added. Last week, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari praised Saudi Arabia’s ‘green initiatives’ and expressed the hope that his country can take Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s environmental vision forward. “It shows a level of dynamism and visionary leadership that is appropriate for modern times, particularly on the green front, where we are hoping to see the investments that (the Kingdom) wants to make in solar energy,” FM Bilawal said in an interview. The Saudi crown prince last visited Pakistan in 2019. During that trip, he oversaw the signing of unprecedented investment deals worth $ 20 billion and ordered the release of more than 2,000 Pakistanis from Saudi prisons. The signed agreements included a deal for a $ 10 billion oil refinery in Gwadar, where China has built and activated a major seaport. Pakistani officials said the facility will be in place in next 3 to 5 years in Gwadar and will meet the country’s needs of refined oil products currently being imported. The surplus will be exported to regional countries. The unprecedented Saudi investment was viewed as a major boost for Pakistan, which has been facing an economic crisis.