Shehbaz heads to Saudi Arabia for urgent security talks with MBS

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Saudi Arabia on Thursday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as Pakistan steps up its diplomacy over the widening Middle East crisis. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is accompanying him on the visit.

According to Geo News, the discussions are expected to centre on regional security after the US-Israel war on Iran, as well as the broader implications for Gulf stability and Pakistan-Saudi relations. Islamabad has been engaging regional capitals in an effort to support de-escalation and maintain close coordination with friendly states.

The visit also comes after recent military-level contacts between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, including talks between Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman. Their dialogue focused on Iranian attacks on the kingdom and the framework of the strategic defence understanding between the two countries.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement last year, making the visit politically and strategically significant at a time of rising instability, oil market pressure and regional uncertainty.