Pakistan envoy meets Saudi deputy minister for political affairs, discusses bilateral relations

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq (left) meeting with the Kingdom’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Ambassador Dr. Saud Al-Sati on April 1, 2024. (Photo courtesy: @KSAmofaEN/X)
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Updated 01 April 2024
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Pakistan envoy meets Saudi deputy minister for political affairs, discusses bilateral relations

  • Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and brotherly relations
  • The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistanis, top source of remittances

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq on Monday met with the Kingdom’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Ambassador Dr. Saud Al-Sati and discussed affairs of mutual interest, the Saudi foreign ministry said.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and brotherly relations. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.

“Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Ambassador Dr. Saud Al-Sati receives Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Ahmad Farooq to discuss bilateral relations between both countries, along with topics of shared interest,” the Saudi foreign ministry said on X.

 

 

The Kingdom has also frequently bailed Pakistan out in difficult times.

Citing an official, Pakistani state media reported this month Saudi Arabia would establish a “state-of-the-art skill university” in Pakistan to meet its demand for skilled workforce for upcoming projects in the Kingdom.

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development had planned to propose allocation of a special quota for Pakistani skilled and semi-skilled workers for NEOM and other upcoming projects, the state-run APP news agency reported.

The proposal for Saudi Arabia to establish a state-of-the-art skill university in Pakistan further aligned the two nations in their pursuit of economic transformation.
 


Pakistan says repaid over $13.06 billion domestic debt early in last 14 months

Updated 29 January 2026
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Pakistan says repaid over $13.06 billion domestic debt early in last 14 months

  • Finance adviser says repayment shows “decisive shift” toward fiscal discipline, responsible economic management
  • Says Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over $286.6 billion in June 2025 to $284.7 billion in November 2025

KARACHI: Pakistan has repaid Rs3,650 billion [$13.06 billion] in domestic debt before time during the last 14 months, Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said on Thursday, adding that the achievement reflected a shift in the country’s approach toward fiscal discipline. 

Schehzad said Pakistan has been repaying its debt before maturity, owed to the market as well as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), since December 2024. He said the government had repaid the central bank Rs300 billion [$1.08 billion] in its latest repayment on Thursday. 

“This landmark achievement reflects a decisive shift toward fiscal discipline, credibility, and responsible economic management,” Schehzad wrote on social media platform X. 

Giving a breakdown of what he said was Pakistan’s “early debt retirement journey,” the finance official said Pakistan retired Rs1,000 billion [$3.576 billion] in December 2024, Rs500 billion [$1.78 billion] in June 2025, Rs1,160 billion [$4.150 billion] in August 2025, Rs200 billion [$715 million] in October 2025, Rs494 billion [$1.76 billion] in December 2025 and $1.08 billion in January 2026. 

He said with the latest debt repaid today, the July to January period of fiscal year 2026 alone recorded Rs2,150 billion [$7.69 billion] in early retirement, which was 44 percent higher than the debt retired in FY25.

He said of the total early repayments, the government has repaid 65 percent of the central bank’s debt, 30 percent of the treasury bills debt and five percent of the Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) debt. 

The official said Pakistan’s total public debt has declined from over Rs 80.5 trillion [$286.6 billion] in June 2025 to Rs80 trillion [$284.7 billion] in November 2025. 

“Crucially, Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio, around 74 percent in FY22, has declined to around 70 percent, reflecting a broader strengthening of fiscal fundamentals alongside disciplined debt management,” Schehzad wrote. 

Pakistan’s government has said the country’s fragile economy is on an upward trajectory. The South Asian country has been trying to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery under a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.