Will ‘ease’ India-Pak tension, says Riyadh

Islamabad, February 18 

Saudi Arabia on Monday vowed to try to “de-escalate” tension between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman prepares to visit New Delhi.

Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir met Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday. Officials said that Qureshi briefed him in detail about the situation after the Pulwama attack. 

Tension has been mounting between the two nuclear-armed neighbours amidst war of words and diplomatic brinkmanship over the attack. “Our objective is to try to de-escalate tension between the two countries, neighbouring countries, and to see if there is a path forward to resolving those differences peacefully,” Jubeir told the media. He also said both countries were facing similar challenges, including the scourge of terrorism. “We want both countries to resolve their conflicts and have peaceful relations.” 

Prince Salman will arrive in India on February 19 on his first official visit. — PTI