Saudi minister goes to Pakistan in post-KL Summit ‘charm offensive’
PETALING JAYA: Saudi Arabia is despatching its foreign minister to Pakistan, in what has been described as a charm offensive following heavy criticism over Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to pull out from the recent Kuala Lumpur Summit which Riyadh had boycotted.
Pakistan’s The Express Tribune quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud will travel to Pakistan tomorrow as part of “damage control” measures.
“Pakistan’s decision at the last minute to walk away from the summit discredited the country both internationally and domestically,” the paper said.
It further added that Riyadh “never wants to lose the public support it enjoys in Pakistan”.
The KL Summit was held against the backdrop of Riyadh’s silent campaign among its allies, resulting in a no-show by most Gulf states and only low-level delegations sent by non-Arab recipients of Saudi aid.
FMT had earlier quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the Saudis were incensed after Mahathir’s refusal to back down amid pressure to cancel the summit, which was initially a joint effort by Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey.
Imran had cancelled his trip at the eleventh hour, in what was believed to be the result of diplomatic arm-twisting of the cash-strapped South Asian nation which has received billions of dollars in Saudi aid since Khan came to power last year.
The three heads of state who attended were among the Saudis’ staunchest enemies: Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. - FMT
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