Decision on PM Khan's Malaysia visit to be taken in accordance with national interest: top aide

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will soon decide whether to attend the Kuala Lumpur Summit hosted by his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad this week, a decision that has not gone down well with Islamabad's close ally Saudi Arabia, according to a media report on Monday.

The Kuala Lumpur Summit from December 19-21 is being seen as an attempt to create a new bloc in the Muslim world that could become an alternative to the dysfunctional Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) led by the Saudis, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Prime Minister Khan's close aide Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the decision of whether he will visit Malaysia or not will be taken "in accordance with the national interest".

Khan, who is currently in Bahrain and will later visit Geneva, will return to Pakistan on Wednesday and will then decide if he should visit Malaysia, she told reporters here.

The development comes a day after Khan's return from Saudi Arabia, where he had gone on a one-day visit on Saturday to assuage the reservations of the kingdom about Pakistan's participation in the Kuala Lumpur Summit, among other issues, the report said.

Within days of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's visit to Riyadh, Premier Imran dashed to the Saudi capital for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud.

This was Khan's fourth visit to the kingdom since May but it came in view of the concerns expressed by Saudi Arabia over Pakistan's acceptance of the Kuala Lumpur summit invite, The Express Tribune reported.

The paper noted that Khan assured Prince Mohammed that Pakistan will never undermine Saudi interests.

Prime Minister Khan had earlier confirmed his participation in the Kuala Lumpur Summit.

The summit is a brainchild of 94-year-old Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir. The plan for the summit was finalised during a trilateral meeting involving top Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistan Prime Minister Khan and Malaysian President Mahathir in September in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.

The summit is also being attended by leaders of Turkey, Qatar and Iran in addition to hosts Malaysia. Around 450 leaders, scholars, clerics, and thinkers from 52 countries are expected to attend the event.

This development has upset the Saudis, who are taking it as a challenge to their dominance in the politics of the Muslim world, the report added.

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia is a key ally of cash-strapped Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia was the first country to extend a financial aid package to the government of Khan to deal with the balance of payment crisis. Riyadh is also a key player in helping Pakistan improve its ties with the United States. It is believed that the Saudi crown prince had helped Imran secure the White House invitation in July this year, The Express Tribune reported.