Summary The FO confirmed PM Shehbaz Sharif's Saudi visit with Field Marshal Asim Munir and rejected India's remarks on AJK polls, calling the election process transparent.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday departed for Saudi Arabia on a three-day official visit, accompanied by Field Marshal Asim Munir, to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments with the Saudi leadership.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will join the delegation from Madina Munawwara where he made a brief stopover after concluding his visit to Jordan for the Ministerial Meeting on Jerusalem.
During the visit, the prime minister will meet Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Discussions would focus on consolidating the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia bilateral relations as well as exchange of views on regional and international developments of mutual interest.
PR No. 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 6, 2026
Curtain Raiser: Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(06-08 August 2026)
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The visit marks Pakistan's longstanding partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia anchored in decades of mutual trust, cooperation and brotherhood.
Although taking place against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf, the visit carries significance beyond the immediate crises and short-term considerations.
It will further strengthen bilateral relations, deepen strategic cooperation, enhance coordination on regional and international issues of mutual interest, and reinforce multilateral cooperation.
PM Shehbaz convenes emergency meeting ahead of Saudi Arabia visit
Before departing, Prime Minister Shehbaz chaired an emergency meeting in Islamabad to review the evolving regional situation and Pakistan's diplomatic engagement.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi, during the weekly media briefing, said Pakistan continued to play a diplomatic role in efforts aimed at restoring stability in the Middle East. He also appreciated Oman's constructive role in the evolving regional situation.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif departs on his official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Rawalpindi, 6 August 2026. pic.twitter.com/vtXXV9cBuu
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) August 6, 2026
Separately, the spokesperson rejected India's remarks on the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections as baseless, saying the electoral process was being conducted in a transparent manner.
He said India had no moral justification for making such statements and could not divert attention from the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir by spreading what he described as misinformation about developments in Azad Kashmir.
Responding to a question on Bangladesh, Andrabi said the people of Bangladesh were fully capable of resolving their own affairs.
