Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Saudi Arabia from August 6 to 8, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on bilateral ties, regional developments and strategic cooperation, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

Addressing a weekly press briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and a high-level delegation would accompany the prime minister during the visit.

He said the two leaders would discuss ways to further strengthen Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations, expand economic and investment cooperation, and exchange views on key regional and international developments.

The spokesperson said particular focus would be placed on the situation in the Middle East, including Gaza, the occupied Palestinian territories, East Jerusalem, the Red Sea and the Bab El Mandeb Strait.

Describing Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as brotherly nations, Andrabi said the visit was of “exceptional importance” and would play a significant role in further strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries.

He said Pakistan remained committed to working with Islamic countries to promote peace and stability in the region through sustained diplomatic engagement.

In this regard, Andrabi noted that Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar attended the ministerial meeting on Al-Quds in Jordan on August 5, where he held separate meetings with the foreign ministers of Jordan, Türkiye, Egypt, Algeria, Iran and Somalia.

During his meeting with the Iranian foreign minister, Dar also extended an invitation for him to visit Pakistan.

According to the spokesperson, participants at the meeting agreed that lasting peace in the Middle East could only be achieved through a just resolution of the Palestine issue.

They reaffirmed support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Separately, Andrabi said Pakistan and the United States had held a new round of counterterrorism dialogue at the diplomatic level.

The Pakistani delegation was led by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh.

He said both countries reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation to promote regional peace, strengthen border security and dismantle terrorist networks.

Responding to a question on India’s statement issued on Youm-e-Istehsal, the spokesperson dismissed New Delhi’s remarks, saying Pakistan “categorically rejects” the Indian position.

He said India was trying to alter the demographic composition of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), adding that such measures could not deprive the Kashmiri people of their internationally recognised right to self-determination.