PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir perform Umrah during three-day Saudi visit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Friday performed Umrah in Makkah with a high-level Pakistani delegation during the three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), "PM Shehbaz was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, CDF Munir, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi."

"The Pakistani delegation also had the honour of a special visit to the Holy Kaaba," the statement added.

After performing Umrah, PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir, and the rest of the delegation "offered prayers for the progress and prosperity of the country and the nation, the safety of the Muslim Ummah, and regional and global peace."

PM Shehbaz arrived in Jeddah yesterday and was received upon arrival by Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Mecca, Saudi Minister of Agriculture, Water and Environment Engineer Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadli, Pakistan's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Farooq, and senior diplomatic officials.

According to a previous statement by the PMO, PM Shehbaz would hold a meeting with the crown prince to exchange views on further strengthening the longstanding fraternal relations and partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, as well as the regional situation.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), in an earlier statement regarding the visit, said it carried significance beyond the immediate crises and short-term considerations. It added that the visit would further strengthen bilateral relations, deepen strategic cooperation, enhance coordination on regional and international issues of mutual interest, and reinforce multilateral cooperation.

Earlier on Thursday, the Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed that PM Shehbaz and CDF Munir would undertake the visit to Saudi Arabia, saying the trip comes as Pakistan continues its diplomatic engagement with regional partners to support de-escalation efforts and a "comprehensive, just, and lasting" resolution to conflicts in the Middle East.