UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed, Saudi crown prince to visit Pakistan next year: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad bin Salman will visit Pakistan next year, said Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammad bin Salman on the telephone. The two leaders will be coming to Pakistan in January and February respectively,” Chaudhry told media persons after federal cabinet’s meeting.

The federal cabinet, he said, expressed concern over the imposition of president’s rule in the Indian Occupied Kashmir after a wave of violence martyred around a dozen people in the Pulwama district.

PM Imran Khan and United Nations Secretary General will establish telephonic contact to discuss the matter, he said.

“The prime minister said that the country cannot run its economy by constantly taking loans,” said the federal minister.

Earlier today, president's rule was imposed in the IoK after Indian President Ram Nath Kovind approved its imposition with immediate effect.

After six months of Governor's Rule which expired on December 19, 2018, the occupied valley will now be under President's Rule. The President's rule was first imposed in the state in 1986, whereas the previous instance of President rule was 22 years ago, the Economic Times reported.

The union cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decision on Monday after Governor Satya Pal Malik sent a report to the central government recommending imposition of President's rule in the state.

Curfew-like restrictions continued across occupied Kashmir earlier this week following a renewed wave of killings by Indian troops.

On Saturday, Indian forces martyred ten youth in Pulwama district, sparking protests by residents which led to two more young people being killed and several others getting injured.

Indian atrocities in the valley have left tens of thousands of people dead since 1989 — most of them civilians. But this year has been the deadliest since 2009, with more than 500 people killed so far. Authorities said last week that incidents of violence were on track to double this year compared to 2017.