Islamabad, 27 April 2024 (TDI): The foreign office of Pakistan announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to attend a two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Riyadh starting on April 28.
The two countries share cordial relations and have witnessed high-level official exchanges in recent years to further consolidate their ties, with Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visiting Pakistan earlier this month to discuss a spectrum of issues with the administration in Islamabad.
Before that, the Pakistani prime minister met the Saudi crown prince in Makkah to discuss the kingdom’s commitment to expedite its investments worth $5 billion.
During her weekly media briefing, the foreign office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, stated that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will participate in the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on April 28-29, 2024.
The event aims to facilitate discussions on international collaboration, economic growth, and energy-related matters.
She said that the Prime Minister would express Pakistan’s grave concern about the genocide in Gaza, advocate for their right to self-determination, and the imperative of solidarity, besides deliberate on Islamophobia, terrorism, and the challenges faced by the Muslim world.
The spokesperson told the media that Pakistan is witnessing a surge in provocative statements from the Indian leaders asserting unwarranted claims on Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan rejects the Indian claims as fueled by hyper-nationalism with inflammation rhetoric and such claims pose threats to regional peace and stability.
She urged the Indian politicians to cease the practice of dragging Pakistan into their internal discourse aimed at gaining electoral motives.
Baloch emphasized that despite Indian rhetoric and assertions, IIOJK remains an internationally recognized disputed territory.
The UN Security Council’s resolutions outline, clearly state that the Kashmiri people’s will through a free plebiscite will determine the final status.
“They have received the invitations from HRH Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Professor Klaus Schwab, the Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum,” she continued.
Baloch said the occasion would allow the Pakistani delegation to interact with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations.
“The high-level participation in the Forum will afford an important opportunity to present Pakistan’s priorities specifically in global health architecture, inclusive growth, revitalizing regional collaboration, and the need for striking a balance between promoting growth and energy consumption,” she added.
The prime minister will also attend the 15th session of the Islamic Summit Conference organized by the OIC on May 4-5 in the Gambian capital of Banjul to discuss a variety of regional and global issues, including Palestine, Islamophobia, climate change, and the status of minorities, state-run APP reported.
According to a press release issued by the OIC General Secretariat, the session will take place under the slogan “Enhancing Unity and Solidarity through Dialogue for Sustainable Development.”
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“The preparatory CFM meeting will be held on May 1-2 to consider the results of the senior officials meeting and in turn, submit its report to the Summit,” the OIC said.
The OIC stated that leaders of member states will address political issues in the Islamic world, notably the Palestinian cause, as well as economic, humanitarian, social, and cultural issues.
Additionally, they will discuss topics related to youth, women, family, science and technology, information, Muslim communities and minorities in non-OIC member states, and legal matters.
The Summit will also tackle issues related to hate speech and Islamophobia, the promotion of dialogue, climate change, and food security.
