Saudi defence minister visits Islamabad

2016-01-10 04:20:49

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) In this photograph released by the Pakistan Press Information Department (PID) on January 10 2016 Advisor to Pakistani Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz (R) shakes hands with Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud (L) as Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif (2R) looks on on his arrival at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi. AFP

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud arrived in Islamabad on Sunday to discuss Pakistan’s cooperation in the 34-nation coalition of Islamic countries the Kingdom has recently formed to ostensibly fight terrorism and extremism.

His visit comes just four days after Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al Jubeir travelled to Islamabad and held wide ranging talks with Pakistan’s civil and military leaders including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Raheel Sharif.

A government official told The Express Tribune that the Saudi defence minister is coming to discuss the ‘finer details’ of the coalition. He is expected to meet his Pakistani counterpart along with the army chief and the prime minister.

“We welcome the Saudi initiative in line with our policy to support all regional and international efforts to counter terrorism and extremism” the official added.

The official made it clear that Pakistan will not become part of any action that will be against any specific country. “We support a political solution to the Syrian problem without interference from the outside” the official maintained.

Asked whether Pakistan would spare troops for the coalition the official said details were being worked out. However Pakistan’s role would remain restricted to intelligence sharing counter-terrorism training and other activities in the coalition the official said.

Internews

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