Pakistan has to maintain neutrality in the GulfPakistan and Saudi Arabia have cordial relations spread over decades. Pakistan already has around 1,180 troops in Saudi Arabia under a 1982 bilateral agreement while months back another contingent was dispatched to the kingdom at the request of the Saudi government. Again in 2013 Saudi Arabia loaned Pakistan $1.5b to shore up its economy. It declined the request to send army during the Saudi invasion of Yemen while maintaining friendly relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran. Questions were raised in the Senate on Monday on the sudden inclusion of Saudi Arabia into CPEC by Pakistan and the issues discussed in the ongoing meeting between the Saudi delegation and government officials in Islamabad.

Source: Pakistan Today October 03, 2018 06:11 UTC