In a press briefing on Wednesday, the United States voiced its support for the upcoming visit of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to Pakistan, stating that such diplomatic engagements were encouraged.
During the briefing held in Washington, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller remarked, “We always support diplomatic engagement between our partners. It’s a routine kind of diplomatic engagement and is something that we support and encourage.”
This declaration follows Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s confirmation that the Saudi crown prince’s visit to Pakistan is in the works, with final dates expected to be confirmed by the kingdom later this month.
“InshaAllah, the visit is due [and] I believe we may receive final dates [of the visit from Saudi Arabia] anytime in May,” Dar stated.
The anticipated visit stems from discussions initiated during PM Shehbaz’s visit to the Kingdom in Ramadan, where the crown prince expressed his intention to visit Pakistan following initial meetings between Pakistani and Saudi officials, as noted by FM Dar.
Moreover, a 50-member high-level Saudi trade delegation, led by Deputy Investment Minister Ibrahim Almubarak, is set to visit Pakistan from May 5 to 6. The delegation aims to explore various avenues of trade and investment to further strengthen bilateral relations.
In a separate context, the State Department spokesperson addressed Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi’s recent visit to Pakistan, welcoming de-escalation between Tehran and Islamabad following cross-border strikes earlier this year.
Regarding a meeting between US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome and a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) delegation, Miller confirmed the development. The envoy’s meeting with opposition members, including National Assembly’s Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, aimed to discuss bilateral issues.
Responding to reports of concerns raised by the PTI delegation regarding human rights violations and legal cases against party founder Imran Khan, Miller reiterated that the US maintains a neutral stance on Pakistani elections.
“We take no position with respect to any particular political party, and of course, we want to see basic human rights upheld,” he affirmed.
The PTI delegation, comprising Ayub, party Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, Asad Qaiser, and Raoof Hasan, met with the US ambassador in the federal capital earlier this week. Ayub emphasized that matters related to military courts and legal cases against PTI leaders were discussed during the meeting.
“We have repeatedly said that these are Pakistan’s internal issues,” Ayub stated.
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