Team News Riveting
In a big jolt to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia has asked the Pakistani embassy in Riyadh to not hold any public event today (27 October) to commemorate what it observes as “Kashmir Black Day”.
In a clear-cut directive, it asked the Pakistani authorities to keep the activities held on the premises of the embassy “low-key”.
The development comes following India alerting the Saudi Government against any such event by the Pakistan embassy that could “create issues” for the Indian expat community living in the Kingdom that has a sizable Indian community.
The bilateral relations between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today rest at an all-time high status, with the kingdom having refused to meddle into India’s internal affairs on the issues related to Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two separate union Territories (UTs) despite pressure from Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the ties between the Kingdom and Pakistan have been on a rocky path lately.
India-Saudi Arabia relations under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) have strengthened, much to the dismay of Pakistan.
As a result, Saudi Arabia refused to convene a foreign ministers’ meeting on Kashmir. The Imran Khan government had earlier ruined the Saudi-Pakistan relationship further by threatening to split the OIC over the issue.
The threat irked MBS so much that he rebuffed General Qamar Javed Bajwa who had visited Saudi Arabia earlier in August to mend the differences.
Since the abrogation of article 370 and 35-A, Pakistan has been complaining that the world has turned a deaf ear to India’s actions in Kashmir. They were shocked when their closest allies including the United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – decided to either side with India or stay silent. Late last year when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan invited foreign ministers of both the countries, it appeared that things would be altered.
