Pakistani forces already stationed in Saudi Arabia, says DG ISPR

Pakistani military personnel have been deployed in Saudi Arabia for decades, according to the Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. The military spokesperson made this statement while speaking to CNN’s Becky Anderson, who inquired about the presence of Pakistani troops in the kingdom under the recently signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

Chaudhry emphasized that the trilateral alliance among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey builds upon long-standing diplomatic, political, military, and public ties between the three nations. He further added that Pakistani forces with a range of capabilities across various domains are already present in the kingdom. This disclosure comes after the three countries decided to put their collective defense commitments into effect immediately and deploy agreed military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia swiftly.

The decision was taken at the inaugural meeting of the alliance's Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh, which brought together senior political and military leaders from all three states. The partners stated that deployments would adhere to approved arrangements and each country's national laws, aiming to enhance readiness, military integration, and joint capacity.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August, treating an armed attack on any member as an attack on all three.