Mohammed Bin Salman

Saudi Arabian prince and defence minister Mohammed Bin Salman was in Islamabad on Sunday to discuss Pakistan’s cooperation in the 34-nation anti-terror coalition of Islamic countries the Kingdom has recently formed.

Prince Salman will hold talks with Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Mohammed Asif on matters of bilateral interest and the regional situation besides meeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief General Raheel Sharif.

His visit comes just four days after Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Adel Al Jubeir travelled to Islamabad and held wide ranging talks with Pakistan’s civil and military leaders, including the Prime Minister and the Army Chief.

Earlier, a government official said the Saudi defence minister was coming to discuss the “finer details” of the coalition.

“We welcome the Saudi initiative in line with our policy to support all regional and international efforts to counter terrorism and extremism,” the official added. He made it clear Pakistan will not become part of any action that will be against any specific country. “We support a political solution to the Syrian problem without interference from the outside,” the official said.