Saudi Chief of General Staff calls on PM Shehbaz, DPM Dar, COAS Asim Munir during his visit to Islamabad
Saudi Chief of General Staff General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili meets Prime Minister Shehbaz, DPM Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Asim Munir during his visit to Islamabad on November 24. PHOTO: APP
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signaled renewed strategic alignment when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Chief of Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili in Islamabad to review defense cooperation, counter-terrorism coordination and regional stability.
At the center of the discussion was the recent historic strategic bilateral defense agreement signed during the Prime Minister’s visit to Riyadh over the past two months. Sharif described the pact as a “milestone” that both sides were now committed to operationalize through joint training, military exercises and expanded exchange of expertise.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Pakistan considered security cooperation with the Kingdom essential for regional peace, adding that the two countries shared a long-standing commitment to fight terrorism and extremism. He said the partnership, based on shared faith and mutual trust, remained a critical pillar of Pakistan’s foreign and security policy.
General Al-Ruwaili relayed congratulatory messages from the Saudi leadership and confirmed Riyadh’s strong desire to upgrade the existing defense and strategic relationship. He reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to take cooperation to “new heights” in the coming phase. Sharif also expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s “consistent and unwavering support” to Pakistan and noted that the relationship had been strengthened further through recent high-level engagement.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also attended the meeting.
Pak-KSA Defense Agreement
In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a landmark strategic mutual defense agreement declaring that “any aggression against either country shall be regarded as aggression against both,” according to a joint Pak-Saudi statement. The pact was signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz’s visit to Riyadh at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
It added that the agreement “reflects the joint commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen the joint deterrence against any aggression.” Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long-standing strategic and defense cooperation, but the latest pact is seen as important in light of recent developments, including Israeli attacks on Qatar.
