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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh during which they discussed expanding the two countries’ “historic and time-tested” partnership in trade, investment and economic cooperation, the Pakistani premier said on Tuesday. 

Sharif met the Saudi crown prince on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh on Monday. The Pakistani prime minister arrived in Riyadh the same day leading a high-level delegation to attend the FII conference, which brings together prominent global investors and leaders. Discussions during the summit will revolve around global challenges and opportunities such as innovation, sustainability, economic inclusion and geopolitical shifts. 

The Pakistani prime minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s meeting was attended by senior cabinet members from both countries as well as Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, according to a statement released by Sharif’s office on Monday night. 

“We reaffirmed the enduring strength of the Pakistan–����ֱ�� brotherly bonds and discussed ways to further expand this historic and time-tested partnership in trade, investment, and economic cooperation,” Sharif wrote on social media platform X. 

He lauded the Saudi crown prince for his “personal commitment and resolute support” in advancing the two countries’ shared vision for deeper collaboration and prosperity. 

Pakistan and ����ֱ�� last month signed a historic strategic defense agreement, according to which an attack against one country will be treated as an attack against both, formalizing their decades-old security ties.

Pakistan and ����ֱ�� have long enjoyed close ties but have sought to broaden cooperation in recent years. The two countries signed memorandums of understanding worth $2.8 billion across multiple sectors last year in an effort to deepen their economic, trade and investment partnership. 

Islamabad and Riyadh share longstanding ties rooted in faith, mutual respect and strategic cooperation, with ����ֱ�� remaining Pakistan’s key political and economic partner. The Kingdom also hosts over 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates, the largest source of remittances for Pakistan’s $407 billion economy.

KARACHI: Police in Pakistan's southern Sindh province have arrested four suspects in the murder case of anchorperson Imtiaz Mir, they said on Monday.

Mir, who hosted the show “Aaj Ki Baat With Imtiaz Mir” on Metro 1 News channel, was shot by two persons riding a motorbike in Karachi’s Malir area on Sept. 21, according to police. He passed away during treatment a week later.

In a statement, a spokesman for police in Sindh's provincial capital of Karachi said they conducted several raids, along with a federal intelligence agency, and arrested the suspects affiliated with a group, Lashkar-e-Sarullah.

The arrestees, Ijlal Zaidi, Shahab, Ehsan Abbas and Faraz Ahmed, were arrested amid Karachi police action against suspects involved in a recent spate of targeted killings in the city, which has had a history of violent crimes.

“We have detained four suspects, Syed Ijlal Zaidi son of Saeed Zaidi, Shahab son of Asghar, Ehsan Abbas son of Jaleel Hussain and Faraz Ahmed son of Manzoor Ahmed, who were originally affiliated with the Zainabiyoun Brigade," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tariq Nawaz told Arab News.

"During interrogation, it was revealed that they had formed a splinter group called Lashkar-e-Sarullah. This group targeted Imtiaz Mir because of his visit to Israel and his subsequent program in support of it. The suspects have confessed to their crime, after which the case has been closed."

In March, Israel Hayom, a Hebrew-language Israeli newspaper, had published a report that a 10-member Pakistani delegation of journalists, intellectuals and influencers had visited Israel for a week.

English-language Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post later said these Pakistanis had visited Israel to learn about the Holocaust and the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.

Pakistan's foreign office had denied the reports, saying it was not "possible" under existing rules.

“The Government of Pakistan has noted reports regarding Pakistani journalists traveling to Israel. In this regard, it is clarified that Pakistani passports explicitly state they are ‘not valid for travel to Israel’,” the Pakistani foreign office said in response to media queries at the time.

“Therefore, no such visit is possible under existing regulations.”

Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and pre-1967 borders.