LAHORE, March 16: An important disclosure was made during a private TV channel’s programme according to which the government of Pakistan will send a brigade to Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism.
The initiative is not only a reflection of the Pak-Saudi defence ties but also indicates a major development in Pakistan’s involvement in the
39-country Islamic Military Alliance which is led by Saudi Arabia.
Gen (R) Raheel Sharif has been given a green signal to lead the Muslim military alliance against terrorism. He is all set to hold the office from May, 2017.
Speaking on the TV programme, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that the final call to send troops to Saudi Arabia had not been taken yet, however, a mutual objective was to fight terrorism. “Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share a defence agreement from 1982”, he added. The former Army Chief will remain as head of the Islamic Military Alliance. Sources suggested that the number of armed forces as well as their headquarters were all decided in recent developments. -DNA
