Riyadh – Mubasher: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a bid to secure a financial aid for his country, AFP reported.
The two-day visit marked Khan’s maiden foreign trip since coming to power earlier this month.
Khan’s government is facing a slew of daunting challenges, including water shortages, militant extremism, growing population, and economic crisis, the news agency added.
“Anyone who comes to power in Pakistan will visit Saudi Arabia first,” Khan told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya.
Pakistani Finance Minister Asad Umar who met his Saudi counterpart Mohammed Al-Jadaan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi attended the meeting.
The two finance ministers discussed “financial and economic cooperation,” between Pakistan and the oil-rich kingdom, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Pakistan’s media sources noted that Khan also plans to negotiate credit facilities with China for saving his country.
Analysts expected that Pakistan would ask the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a loan soon.
Khan will visit the UAE after wrapping up his Saudi Arabia’s trip
