ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met with a delegation of the Saudi Shoura Council, led by its chairman Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh, and agreed to strengthen parliamentary exchanges between the two countries.
The five-day visit by the Saudi delegation aims to deepen cooperation between the two parliaments, expand institutional linkages and enhance people-to-people ties.
“Both leaders agreed to promote exchanges of parliamentary delegations between the two countries,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement issued after the meeting, referring to Sharif and the chairman of the Saudi Shoura Council.
The visit reflects the growing political, economic, and defense engagement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia following a series of high-level exchanges this year, including the signing of a joint defense cooperation agreement in September 2025. Officials said the discussions in Islamabad focus on building long-term parliamentary and institutional partnerships that complement the expanding strategic relationship.
Sharif lauded the development vision of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, describing it as “exemplary,” and praised the Kingdom’s achievements in economic reform, social progress, and women’s empowerment.
“Under his [Crown Prince’s] leadership, Saudi Arabia has achieved remarkable progress in every field, setting an example for other nations,” the prime minister said, according to the PMO.
Al Sheikh thanked the Pakistani leadership for the warm hospitality extended to the delegation, saying the visit would further strengthen bilateral relations through increased parliamentary dialogue and cooperation.
During a separate meeting with the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Parliamentary Friendship Group, members reaffirmed Pakistan’s “unwavering commitment” to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and underscored the “deep-rooted brotherhood” between the two nations.
“It was a productive meeting in which members of the PFG appreciated the recent expansion of economic and defense cooperation between the two countries, particularly lauding the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia defense pact,” said Senator Sehar Kamran, a PFG member, while speaking to Arab News.
She described the defense pact as “a continuity of six decades of cooperation and collaboration,” adding that Pakistan–Saudi relations “have only grown stronger with time.”
The chairman of the Shoura Council also invited members of the PFG to visit the Kingdom and is expected to return to Pakistan in November to attend a parliamentary conference, according to Kamran.
PFG Convener and Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said the visit symbolized “the enduring partnership between the two countries, nurtured under the visionary leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince.”
“The PFG serves as a vital channel to enhance people-to-people linkages and promote parliamentary and institutional exchanges,” he said.
