Pakistan, Saudi Arabia ready to sign economic package, PM tells crown prince

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in a telephone conversation on Friday that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were prepared to complete and sign a comprehensive economic package, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The PMO said the proposed package would be finalised under the patronage of the Saudi crown prince. The official statement described the exchange between the two leaders as warm and cordial.

During the conversation, Shehbaz also congratulated the crown prince on the signing of the historic Islamabad Peace Deal. No further details about the economic package were provided in the statement.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September last year. The agreement treats an attack on either country as an act of aggression against both.