Pakistan Presents ‘Gold Plated Gun’ to Saudi Crown Prince
The unusual gift from Pakistan to the Saudi Prince has raised eyebrows of many countries. The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a submachine gun and is developed by German engineers.
Amidst global pressure from the world for terrorism, debt-ridden Pakistan has gifted the visiting Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman with a gold plated assault rifle. The unusual gift from Pakistan to the Saudi Prince has raised eyebrows of many countries. Mohammad Bin Salman also known as MBS has also been embroiled in the controversy over the death of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
According to reports, Pakistan’s Senate delegation that called on the crown prince at the Prime Minister’s house and the Senate's chairman Sadiq Sanjrani gifted him a portrait and a gold-plated gun, the Heckler & Koch MP5 on behalf of Pakistan. The prince is also Saudi Arabia’s defence minister.
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a submachine gun and is developed by German engineers. The modified weapon has an elaborate pattern engraved with gold plated components.
At the start of the week, MBS started his Asian tour from Pakistan. The Asian tour is widely seen as an attempt to bolster ties and improve the kingdom’s image after a troubled year.
Islamabad extended a grand welcome to MBS, honoring his arrival with a 21-gun salute and a fly-past by the country’s air force. Amidst strong security arrangements, with the capital Islamabad’s air space shut down and all schools and government institutions very closed for the day.
MBS signed agreements worth $20 billion during his two-day visit to the country. It was his first official visit to Pakistan, after he became Crown Prince in the year 2017.
India was the next stop of the MBS tour. He visited New Delhi and announced plans to share intelligence to fight terrorism and make further investments in the country.
After India, the Crown Prince is now travelling China, Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner, with Riyadh’s exports to Beijing is worth $46 billion in 2018.
MBS and President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss cooperation on China’s One Belt, One Road trade, infrastructure initiative, as well as his Saudi Vision 2030 plan, which aims to reduce unemployment, grow the private sector and develop industrial, tourism and entertainment hubs over the next decade.
MBS' visit to the Asian countries and arc rivals came at a time amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, following one of the worst terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir where 40 Indian soldiers were martyred. The attack was carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad with the support of Pakistan’s Army.
The international community including the US has pressed Pakistan to deny support and shelter to the terror groups operating from its territory and bring the perpetrators of the Pulwama attack to justice.