Islamabad: In a symbolic show of solidarity with Pakistan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia foreign ministers visited Islamabad on Wednesday evening to reaffirm their bilateral relationship and to play a positive role in defusing tensions over Kashmir.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmoud Qureshi warmly welcomed the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al Jubeir and Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, at the airport. Both the foreign ministers arrived in a single aircraft signifying the unanimous approach of the two countries towards Pakistan.

Immediately after their arrival, the ministers held a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss the bilateral and regional situation and reiterated their support to Pakistan.

Imran briefed the ministers about the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the suffering of Kashmiri people due to the curfew for the last 31 days. Imran stressed on the urgent need to lift all restrictions in the valley that has pushed the region into a humanitarian crisis.

Both the envoys expressed their full support to Pakistan’s concerns on Kashmir, according to an official statement. They also expressed their worries over the regional situation and reiterated their willingness to play a constructive role to defuse tensions.

Qureshi, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ebrahim Al Za’abi and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Bin Said Al Maliki also attended the meeting with Imran.

On Wednesday evening, the UAE and Saudi foreign ministers first held talks with their Pakistani counterpart Qureshi at the Foreign Office where the three ministers expressed solidarity and reaffirmed their commitment on regional issues. The three leaders also discussed the possibility of holding special session of OIC ministers at the sidelines of UN General Assembly session in the last week of September.

The two visiting ministers lauded Pakistan’s role in peace and stability in the region and urged a joint strategic approach to address challenging issues, according to a statement on state PTV channel. The foreign envoys were also set to meet the country’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

The highest-level direct interaction took place following direct telephone calls between Prime Minister Imran Khan to the crown princes of the two countries in the past few days.

The state news agency APP earlier quoted Qureshi as saying that the “single point agenda of discussion of visit of Saudi Arabia and UAE foreign ministers was the Kashmir issue and the regional situation in the wake of India’s illegal move in Kashmir.”