Pakistani troops have been stationed in Saudi Arabia for several decades, says DG ISPR

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed that Pakistani military contingents have been stationed in Saudi Arabia for several decades.

In an interview with CNN, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained defence ties for decades and that Pakistani military personnel have been deployed in Saudi Arabia for many years.

He said the Pakistani contingents currently stationed in Saudi Arabia belong to different domains under the Mecca Agreement.

The development comes after the Mecca Defence Alliance recently decided to provide the necessary military forces and capabilities for immediate deployment in Saudi Arabia.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee of the Mecca Defence Alliance was held in Riyadh on Monday, with representatives from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye participating.

The meeting decided to make immediate progress on collective defence commitments and to provide the necessary military forces and capabilities for immediate deployment in Saudi Arabia.

A joint statement issued after the meeting said the security of the three countries was an integral part of collective security. It added that translating the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement into practical measures demonstrated the credibility of the three countries’ commitment to collective defence.