PM designate Imran Khan to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia after forming government in Islamabad
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*ISLAMABAD - PM in waiting Imran Khan will visit both Saudi Arabia and Iran after taking oath of the prime minister of Pakistan.*
*Imran Khan was offered a state visit of Iran, Saudi Arabia by the respective heads of state to which he had agreed.*
* Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz called PM-in-waiting Imran Khan on Monday and congratulated him on his party’s victory in the July 25 elections.*
The king told Imran that Pakistan was an important ally of Saudi Arabia and the kingdom wants a close relationship with the South Asian country.
Imran thanked King Salman and said Saudi Arabia has always supported Pakistan in its difficult times.
The PTI chairperson told King Salman that the protection of Harmain-Sharifain was part of Pakistani’s faith. He has also accepted King Salman’s offer to visit Saudi Arabia.
On August 4, Imran told Iranian envoy Mehdi Honardoost that Pakistan was “ready to play a constructive and positive role between Iran and Saudi Arabia”.
The PTI chairperson had also accepted Iranian President Hasan Rouhani’s invitation to visit Tehran. However, the visit will be finalised by the foreign ministries of the two countries after the PTI forms the government in Islamabad.
Saudi Arabia and Iran, arch-rivals since the 1979 Iranian revolution, are believed to have been supporting rival groups in Syria and Iraq.