Now Reading: Sharif arrives in Saudi Arabia to deepen defence ties
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Sharif arrives in Saudi Arabia to deepen defence ties
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Thursday for a three-day visit, accompanied by Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and senior ministers. Sharif is due to meet…
The Story in Brief
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Thursday for a three-day visit, accompanied by Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and senior ministers. Sharif is due to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from August 6 to 8. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said talks would cover bilateral ties and regional and international issues.
The visit follows Saudi Arabia’s proposal for a Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition to protect shipping and energy routes through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Pakistan is among 14 countries supporting the plan. Islamabad also says it is trying to bring the United States and Iran back to negotiations. Saudi Arabia provided Pakistan with a fresh USD 3 billion deposit facility and extended a USD 5 billion facility in 2025-26.
The Indian Opinion
The easy narrative is that Islamabad has simply chosen Riyadh’s side in every regional dispute. The record is more mixed: Pakistan backs Saudi security, supports maritime protection and still says it is communicating with Tehran. The opposite claim, that this is merely ceremonial diplomacy, also ignores the defence agreement and financial support. The useful test is whether the proposed coalition produces actual maritime deployments and safer shipping routes.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
