ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday arrived in Saudi Arabia on a three-day official visit, the first foreign trip since his election during which he is expected to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the top destination for remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Saudi Arabia where Governor of Madinah Prince Salman bin Sultan Al Saud received him at the Madinah airport,” the PM Office said in a statement.
“The Prime Minister will stay in Madinah tonight and offer prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque,” it added.
Sharif is accompanied by his niece and Punjab chief minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, as well as the ministers of finance, foreign affairs, economic affairs, defense and information. He will perform Umrah and offer prayers at the Masjid Nabawi in Madinah.
The foreign office said on Friday Sharif’s visit would last from April 6-8.
“The Prime Minister is expected to meet the Crown Prince and Prime Minister HRH Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and discuss issues of mutual interest,” the foreign office informed.
“The leaders will also exchange views on regional and global developments ... [and are] committed to advancing the fraternal ties and mutually rewarding economic and investment relations.”
The Saudi government has not yet commented on the visit or its agenda.
Sharif last traveled to Saudi Arabia during his first term as PM in October 2022. He met the crown prince during that visit and also attended the Saudi Future Investment Initiative Summit.
Pakistani PM arrives in Saudi Arabia on first foreign visit, expected to meet crown prince
https://arab.news/4uzpw
Pakistani PM arrives in Saudi Arabia on first foreign visit, expected to meet crown prince
- Sharif was received by Governor of Madinah, Prince Salman bin Sultan Al Saud, at the airport
- Sharif last traveled to Saudi Arabia during his first term as prime minister in October 2022
Gas leak claims lives of three women in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi — police
- Gas leaks are a recurring hazard in Pakistan during the winter season, resulting in explosions, fires and cases of asphyxiation
- Last week, a bride and a groom among eight people were killed because of a gas cylinder blast in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad
ISLAMABAD: Three women suffocated because of a gas leak from a geyser at their home in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi, police said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred inside the victims’ house located in Bahria Town Phase-7, according to Sub-inspector Imtiaz Nazir. Another woman was found unconscious at the scene.
“A 16-year-old girl was also affected and has been shifted to a hospital in critical condition, where she remains on a ventilator,” Nazir told Arab News.
“Investigation into the incident is underway, but initial findings indicate that the fatalities were caused by suffocation.”
Gas leaks and related accidents are a recurring hazard in Pakistan during the winter season, often resulting in explosions, fires and cases of asphyxiation that cause injuries and loss of life.
The risk tends to increase as households rely heavily on gas heaters, geysers, cylinders and stoves in poorly ventilated spaces.
Last week, a bride and a groom among eight people were killed because of a gas cylinder explosion in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, an official said. At least five people were killed in Pakistan’s southern Larkana city in a similar explosion in Dec., authorities said.
