And for the two-day trip, the Saudi crown prince will stay at the official residence of the prime minister - something that no state guest has ever done before. Saudi Arabia needs Pakistan too. "Saudi Arabia, like some of the other gulf countries, has lots of cash but not necessarily a particularly strong army. "Saudi Arabia would like to ensure Pakistan remains closer to Riyadh than it does to Tehran," says Mr Joshi. Unprecedented talks are taking place to bring an end to the war in Afghanistan - where Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India and the US all have a stake.

Source: Daily Nation February 17, 2019 11:26 UTC