Pakistan Will Defend Saudi Arabia Against Any Aggression, Says DG ISPR

Islamabad: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said Pakistan is physically present to support Saudi Arabia and stands with the country diplomatically as well.

In an interview with Arab News, the DG ISPR said Pakistan was fully prepared to go to any extent required by the Saudi leadership to protect Saudi Arabia and the two holy mosques.

He said Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security was unconditional and rooted in a longstanding, historic and close relationship between the two countries.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said there should be no doubt that the people of Pakistan stand alongside Saudi Arabia.

He said Pakistan was ready to defend Saudi Arabia against any aggression.

The DG ISPR said Pakistan was honouring the commitments made under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement as well as the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement.

He added that Pakistan’s political and military leadership remained in constant contact with the Saudi leadership.

On regional diplomacy, the DG ISPR said the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was reached after sustained and extensive diplomatic efforts by Pakistan.

Regarding Afghanistan, he said Pakistan had one clear demand from the Afghan Taliban regime: to stop terrorism being carried out inside Pakistan from Afghan soil.

He said around 80 percent of suicide bombers were Afghan nationals and that Afghan citizens were present in formations entering Pakistan from Afghanistan.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that if the Afghan Taliban regime failed to fulfil its commitments under the Doha Agreement, Pakistan had the full right to defend itself.

On the security situation in Balochistan, he said terrorists did not enjoy public support and were attempting to impose their ideology through force.

The DG ISPR further said India was sponsoring terrorism and that social media operations were being run from outside the country.

He reiterated that the state’s policy was clear and that there would be no dialogue with terrorists.