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Pakistani PM Will Meet Saudi, Iranian Leaders, Try to Ease Tensions


FILE - Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will meet with King Salman on Monday in Riyadh and with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday in Tehran.
FILE - Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will meet with King Salman on Monday in Riyadh and with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday in Tehran.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Riyadh and Tehran in a bid to mend ties between the rivals after the Saudi execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric led to mob attacks on the kingdom's diplomatic posts in Iran.

Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said Saturday that Sharif would depart Monday for Riyadh, where he will meet with King Salman. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are longtime allies.

On Tuesday, Sharif will meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran.

Sharif "will try to convince the two leaders that their tension was adding to the problems faced by the Muslim world,” Rashid said.

The Pakistani prime minister will be accompanied by his country's military chief, General Raheel Sharif.

Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran back opposite sides in the wars in Syria and Yemen. Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran after the attacks on its diplomatic posts.

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