Why Prince Mohammed bin Salman is not coming to Pakistan
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan on May 19 has been postponed due to deteriorating internal political situation and security concerns.
Sources familiar with the matter claimed that another major reason for this postponement is the reluctance of the Pakistani military establishment to lower the political temperature in the country by providing relief to jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan at the request of Saudi Arabia.
Providing relief to Imran Khan over Saudi interference could lead to a global PR victory for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, especially given Khan’s popularity in the Muslim world. It is also true that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has a personal relationship with Imran Khan. Imran Khan had refused to visit Malaysia in 2019 at the insistence of Prince Mohammed bin Salman for an alleged Turkish plan to create alternative leadership in the Muslim world.
Signing investment projects in Pakistan, without independence of Imran Khan, could create a rift in the already fragile internal affairs in Saudi Arabia.
