Pakistani Premier arrives in Saudi Arabia for Umrah

Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani will pay a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia from Sunday to perform Umrah, the country’s consulate in Jeddah announced. Gilani’s visit follows Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to the Kingdom on July 21. During the visit, the Premier is slated to meet the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to discuss ways and means to further strengthen bilateral ties. Gilani will also visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, the Saudi daily (Arab News) reported Sunday. According to sources, the visiting Premier is expected to discuss current regional issues as well as economic cooperation between the two countries. In an earlier statement, the Premier termed Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia as most vital and called for every endeavor possible to further strengthen these multifaceted ties through high level exchanges and regular interaction. Arab News learned that the Afghan issue would also be taken up during the premier’s meeting with the King.