Pakistan is reportedly pushing for the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is expected to travel to India this week for the G-20 summit in New Delhi. While the Foreign Office has remained tight-lipped about the possibility of a stopover by the Saudi crown prince in Pakistan, sources in the Prime Minister's Office have not ruled it out. According to the Express Tribune newspaper, nothing is official yet, but there are signals that the Saudi crown prince may travel to Pakistan during his visit to India. There has been no confirmation from either side, as sources suggest that both parties may want to keep the visit under wraps until the last moment.

However, if the visit does materialize, it would only be for a few hours. The reason Pakistan is eager for the Saudi crown prince to visit Islamabad, even for a short duration, is to avoid a possible public backlash. While many countries have de-hyphenated their relationship with Pakistan and India in recent years, Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, still maintain a certain balance in their relations with the two nations. Officials believe that if the Saudi crown prince skips the Pakistan trip while traveling to India, it could invite public backlash.

The Saudi crown prince is not only attending the G-20 summit but also planning to stay in Delhi for a day on a state visit. Given this situation, it has become even more crucial for Pakistan that he visits the country. Additionally, Pakistan sees Saudi Arabia as a key player in its economic revival plan. To attract foreign investment, particularly from Gulf countries, Pakistan has established a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The visit of the Saudi crown prince would further bolster this cause, according to sources. However, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated at a recent weekly briefing that there has been no official announcement about the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman to Pakistan. It is worth noting that the Saudi crown prince had previously postponed his visit to Pakistan in November last year.