ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was rescheduling flights, blocking-off luxury hotels, and — according to one report Friday — collecting 3,500 pigeons and colorful balloons to release during a welcome ceremony for Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Islamabad is hoping to sign a raft of investment deals and other agreements during the two-day visit, which begins Saturday and will include talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and the powerful army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Banners heralding the crown prince were already lining the streets of the capital Friday, while the Express Tribune newspaper reported that authorities were trying to catch so many pigeons for a welcome ceremony that they were forced to collect birds from other cities.
Police, the armed forces, and the Saudi Royal Guards will provide security, a senior Islamabad police official told AFP.
The capital’s “red zone,” which houses Parliament House and the Presidency, was to be sealed off, while civil aviation authorities have been told to reschedule flights during the prince’s arrival and departure.
Authorities in the capital said two five-star hotels had been ordered to cancel all advance bookings as the rooms will be reserved for the prince’s entourage.
Earlier in the week local media reported that the crown prince’s personal belongings — including luxury vehicles and his own gym — were flown to Pakistan in two C130 airplanes.
The visit came as regional tensions spiked after neighboring India accused Islamabad of harboring militants behind a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
At least 41 paramilitary troops were killed in a suicide blast Thursday, with Indian media reporting that the Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility.
Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing to sign a record investment package with Pakistan, including a $10-billion refinery and oil complex for the strategic Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea.
Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman said Islamabad is seeking to sign a number of other deals, including one “combating organized crime.”
Khan has been courting its Gulf allies for months as he seeks to stave off an ongoing balance of payments crisis and reduce the size of any potential bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have together offered Islamabad some $30 billion in investment and loans.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are also participating in talks with the US and other countries seeking to bring the Taliban to the table for peace negotiations with Kabul after more than 17 years of war.
The Taliban have claimed their representatives will visit Islamabad on Monday, after Salman leaves.
Pakistan gets ready to woo Saudi crown prince
Pakistan gets ready to woo Saudi crown prince
- Pakistan is collecting 3,500 pigeons and colorful balloons to release during a welcome ceremony for Saudi Crown Prince
- Pakistan expects to sign multiple investment deals and other agreements during the two-day visit
Pakistan touts investment potential for US businesses in tech, energy and minerals
- The country’s envoy says both sides was committed to anchoring relations in economic cooperation
- He describes Pakistan’s tech-savvy youth as a competitive asset for businesses needing skilled labor
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States said on Sunday the country offered profitable opportunities for American businesses in information technology, energy and minerals, according to an official statement.
The comments come months after the US and Pakistan reached a trade deal in July, with officials on both sides signaling interest in expanding cooperation into energy, mining, digital infrastructure and other sectors.
Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb at the time said the aim was to move “beyond the immediate trade imperative,” adding that the two countries had “come a long way” in their broader strategic partnership.
“Pakistan presents profitable opportunities for US entrepreneurs, particularly in the fast-growing and lucrative IT, energy and minerals sectors,” Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said, according to the statement.
Sheikh made the remarks during a meeting at the embassy in Washington with a delegation from the Yale School of Management, which plans to visit Pakistan.
He said the leadership in both countries was committed to anchoring relations in economic cooperation and providing an investor-friendly environment for American firms looking to enter a market of more than 250 million people.
The ambassador noted Pakistan was strategically located at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, adding that it served as a vital trade corridor offering US businesses connectivity to energy-rich Central Asian states and Gulf markets.
Sheikh highlighted opportunities in tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and information technology, pointing to Pakistan’s large, tech-savvy youth population as a competitive asset for businesses needing skilled labor.
“The success of over 80 US companies already operating profitably in Pakistan bears testimony to the country’s vast economic potential,” he said.
The statement added the delegation thanked the ambassador for the briefing and said it looked forward to the embassy’s support during the visit.
