ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to visit Saudi Arabia within the next 48 hours after receiving an official invitation from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Reports said the visit will include high-level meetings with Saudi leadership to discuss key regional and international issues.
The trip gains added significance following the recent US-Iran talks held in Islamabad.
Financial cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is also expected to be a key topic of discussion.
Prime Minister Sharif would be accompanied by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi.
Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb may also join the delegation upon his return from the United States.
The Islamabad talks, which lasted nearly 21 hours, ended without a final agreement. A US delegation led by Vice President J. D. Vance also left without securing a deal. Both sides later traded accusations, highlighting continued tensions and lack of trust despite extended negotiations.
US President Donald Trump stated that the progress was made on several points during the negotiations. However, he noted that the key issue—Iran’s nuclear programme—remained unresolved.
He added that Iran is not willing to abandon its nuclear ambitions, calling it the main obstacle in the talks, and said it is unacceptable for an unpredictable country to possess nuclear capability.
