Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Al-Ula
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Sunday met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and “reviewed bilateral relations and the ways of enhancing them.”
According to a report by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the crown prince met the Army chief at his winter camp in Al-Ula. It said that the Saudi delegation included Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, as well as National Security Adviser Musaed bin Muhammad al-Aiban, while Pakistan’s delegation included Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Amir Kahraman and military attache to the embassy Brig. Muhammad Asim.
The SPA reported that the Army chief and Saudi crown prince had “reviewed bilateral relations and the ways of enhancing them, in addition to a number of issues of common concern.”
Earlier, Gen. Munir performed Umrah, where the doors of the holy Kaaba were opened for him. According to local media, the Army chief offered prayers inside the Kaaba. He also visited the Masjid-e-Nabwi, the second holiest mosque in Islam.
The Army chief commenced an official visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Jan. 4, with the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) saying he would return to Pakistan on Jan. 10. This is his first overseas tour since he took charge as the Army chief. While there has been no official confirmation of what he aims to accomplish with this trip, sources within the government say he would appeal to the Gulf states’ leadership to support Pakistan as it struggles with an economic crisis amidst devastating floods and rampant inflation that have brought the country to the brink of default.