As the Saudi Arabia prince Mohammed Bin Salman is set to arrive in Delhi today, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia issued a joint statement against the politicisation of UN listing regime, and this was seen as a direct reference to India's demands to announce Jaish E Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

The Indian foreign secretary had been emphasizing on listing Maulana Masood as a global terrorist and China blocking the same, helping Pakistan during every meeting he has with G-20 nation representatives, which also includes Saudi Arabia. While India had expected Saudi Arabia to support them, their joint statement with Pakistan seems to be in support of Pak claims that India is politicising the UN listing.

Sometime before the joint statement was issued, External affairs ministry secretary T.S.Trimuti had said that Saudi Arabia had condemned the Pulwama attack and had also agreed to work with India in countering terrorism. However, the joint statement from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan which came later, praised the efforts made by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to develop peace with India, and the sacrifice made by the country against war, and emphasized not to politicize the UN listing. This has come across as a shocker for India which was expecting Saudi Arabia to support them to counter Pakistan and list Maulana Masood as a global terrorist.