ISLAMABAD – Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal's two-day visit to Pakistan on Monday has nothing to do with the trial of ex-president Pervez Musharraf, according to Muhammad Naeem Khan, Pakistan Ambassador to the Kingdom. “The visit was rescheduled last September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings when Prince Saud met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The prime minister invited Prince Saud to visit Pakistan,” Naeem Khan told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. This is a visit to enhance bilateral relations in political, economic, and business fields. It will cement Islamic solidarity and push bilateral relations further. He noted that Musharraf's trial is strictly a domestic affair and will be treated as such and according to domestic laws and norms. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam Khan said the news reports that linked Prince Saud Al-Faisal's visit to Musharraf's trial are baseless and do not have a shred of truth. The date of the visit was set a few months ago and its purpose is to enhance strategic bilateral ties, Tasnim Khan said, stressing that both sides will discuss the latest developments in South Asia, the Middle East peace process and the Syrian conflict. Her statement came in response to claims by a group of Pakistani dailies that Prince Saud's visit was linked to Musharraf's trial and his admission to hospital following a heart attack. This is the first visit Prince Saud is making to Pakistan since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif won the elections, she said. It is a good opportunity for the prime minister to be briefed on the Kingdom's opinion regarding what has been going on in the region. “The Kingdom is a strategic partner of Pakistan in the Muslim world. The Pakistani people will never forget how the Kingdom has always supported Pakistan in times of crisis and ordeal,” she said. Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Aziz Al-Ghadeer underscored the importance of the visit. Both countries are working to intensify their efforts to solve the issues of the Muslim Ummah. They will also discuss the latest developments in the region and around the world. “Saudi-Pakistan relations go back to 1947 when Pakistan won its independence. These relations are as strong as ever,” Al-Ghadeer said. Prince Saud Al-Faisal is scheduled to meet Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain and convey Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah's regards to him. He will also hold a press conference on Tuesday before leaving Pakistan. Meanwhile, Al-Ghadeer called on Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in Islamabad on Saturday, according to The News. Welcoming Prince Saud's visit to Pakistan, the minister said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy unique brotherly relations which are rooted deep in history. He said, “Our special ties have grown with the passage of time and the government of PML (N) under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif is keen to take it to new heights.” Chaudhry Nisar said Saudi Arabia has always supported Pakistan and our government and people hold the Saudi leadership, the entire Royal family and the people of the country in very high esteem. He said high profile visits between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia should be reinvigorated to the previous level. The ambassador informed the minister that the Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia would like to visit Pakistan as per the invitation of the Minister of Interior of Pakistan. This meeting could take place as early as end of January 2014, in which some important agreements relating to security cooperation and combating drug trafficking are likely to be signed. The minister said this upcoming visit would add a new dimension to the already close relations between the two countries. In recent years, both countries have exchanged high-level delegations and developed plans to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, education, real estate, tourism, information technology, communications and agriculture. Saudi Arabia is aiding the development of trade relations with Pakistan through the Gulf Cooperation Council, with which Pakistan is negotiating a free trade agreement.
