Pakistan’s Saudi Visit enters a significant phase as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir lead a high-level delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from August 6 to 8, aiming to strengthen strategic cooperation and discuss key regional developments.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, senior cabinet members and top officials. During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will meet Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

The Foreign Office described the visit as a reflection of the longstanding Pakistan-Saudi Arabia partnership, built on decades of mutual trust, cooperation and brotherhood. It added that the trip carries added importance amid heightened tensions across the Gulf and the wider Middle East.

More than 100 words into the visit, the Saudi Visit is expected to deepen cooperation in political, economic and security sectors while enhancing coordination on regional challenges. The Foreign Office said the engagement would reinforce bilateral ties, expand strategic collaboration and strengthen multilateral cooperation between the two countries.

MoFA also confirmed that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will join the delegation from Madina Munawwara after concluding his visit to Jordan, where he attended the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem.

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During the weekly Foreign Office briefing, spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Pakistan remains actively engaged with regional partners to support diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions and achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

He praised Oman’s constructive role in promoting regional stability and said Pakistan values Muscat’s continued efforts to encourage dialogue and de-escalation. Andrabi added that Dar has remained in close contact with regional counterparts, including Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, discussing developments in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, Palestine and the broader region.

The spokesperson also highlighted Dar’s meetings in Jordan with the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Somalia and Jordan. He noted that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination through their four-country coordination mechanism.

On bilateral diplomacy, Andrabi said Pakistan and the United States recently concluded the fourth round of their Counterterrorism Dialogue in Washington, where both sides reaffirmed cooperation against terrorist organizations, including ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

He also highlighted political consultations and trade discussions between Pakistan and Australia in Canberra, where officials reviewed cooperation in trade, investment, security and political affairs.

Addressing the seventh anniversary of India’s August 5, 2019 actions in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Andrabi reiterated Pakistan’s continued diplomatic, political and moral support for the Kashmiri people. He rejected recent statements from New Delhi regarding Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, describing them as politically motivated and maintaining that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognized disputed territory under relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

Responding to questions about Bangladesh, the Foreign Office said Pakistan respects Bangladesh’s sovereignty and does not interfere in its internal affairs, while expressing Islamabad’s commitment to maintaining constructive bilateral relations.