He is accompanied by the Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed.General Qamar’s visit is “primarily military-affairs oriented,” the Pakistan’s Army chief spokesperson said.Pakistan Army, while reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s “centrality” to the Muslim world, dismissed reports of any strain in the country’s ties with the kingdom.

"Pakistan is proud of its brotherly relationship with Saudi Arabia," the chief of military’s media wing, ISPR, Major General Babar Iftikhar said in a press briefing on Thursday.

But according to Reuters, Gen Qamar would try to calm a situation that if not reversed could badly hurt Pakistan’s central bank foreign reserves.

A traditional ally, Saudi Arabia gave Pakistan a $3 billion loan and $3.2 billion oil credit facility to help its balance of payments crisis in late 2018.

Earlier this month, Pakistan has paid back Saudi Arabia $1 billion out of a $3 billion loan that it secured one-and-a-half years ago to avoid default on international debt obligations after the kingdom decided to reduce its financial support, highly placed sources told The Express Tribune.

Riyadh has also not responded to Islamabad’s requests to extend the oil facility, military and finance ministry officials have told Reuters.“I think our case is to convince them [Saudi] that there’s no foreign policy shift,” a senior military official said.The Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) has only held low-level meetings over Kashmir despite Islamabad’s demands.

Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, chief of All Pakistan Ulema Council, who went to Riyadh ahead of the general’s visit, was optimistic, saying Saudi King Salman bib Abdul Aziz and Crown Price Mohammad bin Salman have a long history of good relations with Pakistan.“I don’t think things are so bad that as to say we are at daggers drawn,” he told Reuters.

Earlier in the day, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani reiterated Islamabad’s full support for Riyadh and vowed to stand by the kingdom during a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki.

“Parliament, especially the Upper House (Senate), reiterates its commitment that no sacrifice will be spared for defending the sanctity of Haramain,” a statement issued by Sanjrani’s office said.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia “have always stood by each other in difficult times”, he added.The two officials also discussed other bilateral and regional issues, with Sanjrani saying they would “work in consultation on international issues and problems” as well.“Pakistan can never forget Saudi Arabia’s support in every challenging time. We hope that Saudi Arabia will continue to cooperate in the same spirit,” he said.