RIYADH/ISLAMABAD: The Saudi cabinet on Wednesday authorised its ministers to sign agreements with Pakistan during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s two-day visit to Islamabad.
The Saudi crown prince is expected to arrive in Pakistan on February 16 and will be housed at the PM House. Ahead of the crown prince’s visit, his security team arrived in the country on Monday.
Further, the Saudi cabinet has also authorised the head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) to discuss and sign an MoU for cooperation in the field of archaeology and museums between the National Commission for Tourism and National Heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Department of Archaeology and Museums of Pakistan.
EXTENSIVE SECURITY PLAN:
Moreover, security arrangements for the Saudi crown prince’s visit have been finalised. Around 123 Saudi Arabian Royal Guards will be deployed in Islamabad.
Crown Prince Mohammed will land in Islamabad with four jets and will be met with protocol by Pakistan’s JF-17 jets when he enters the country’s airspace. Upon landing, PM Imran and his cabinet will receive the dignitary.
However, the crown prince will use his personal vehicles, which will be transported from the kingdom along with his other belongings. It was reported that 80 containers will be shipped to Islamabad for the crown prince and his entourage’s stay.
Some 300 Toyota Prado Land Cruisers have been reserved for the Saudi delegation and a gym has also been set up in the PM House as the crown prince’s exercise equipment arrived earlier in Pakistan.
Further, a security plan has been chalked out with more than 1,000 security checkpoints established in the twin cities. Heavy vehicles have also been banned from important roads in the federal capital and adjoining Rawalpindi. The metro bus service will be limited to Rawalpindi.
Alternate routes will be provided for traffic coming in from Peshawar, Kahuta and Murree. Mobile phone service will also remain suspended in the twin cities.
Law enforcement officials will also be deployed on important roads of the twin cities and Islamabad’s major thoroughfare, Express Highway, will remain closed for VVIP movement.
Express Highway will be further closed at specific timings from Koral Chowk to Faisalabad Avenue 15 U-turn.
Murree Road will remain closed from Faizabad Interchange to Serena Chowk and Shahrah-e-Dastur will remain closed from Radio Pakistan to Serena Hotel, Suharwardi Road.
Moreover, trainer aircraft will also be suspended for two days and authorities have been issued instructions to shoot down any drones and other unauthorised remotely-controlled flying objects.
The Pakistan Army and Saudi Royal Guards will also take over security of eight private hotels in Islamabad.
Earlier, diplomatic sources had said that a trade deal worth $14 billion would be signed between Pakistan and the Saudi Kingdom during the crown prince’s visit. The trade deal would be the biggest foreign investment in the country’s history.
During his visit, the crown prince will also call on the president as well as the chief of army staff (COAS). A delegation of Senate will also call on the crown prince to discuss ways to enhance parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.
During the crown prince’s stay, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will be signing a number of agreements and MoUs related to diverse sectors, including investment, finance, power, renewable energy, internal security, media, culture and sports, an official press release said.
The two countries will also discuss ways and means to develop a robust follow-up mechanism to ensure effective implementation and quick progress on tangible areas of cooperation, it added.
The visit is expected to significantly enhance bilateral ties between the two countries in all spheres of cooperation.
In October, last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan had visited Riyadh where he tried to woo potential investors and secure funds to overcome the nation’s ongoing balance of payment crisis.
