A Pakistan army contingent will be stationed in Saudi Arabia on a "training and advisory mission", a press release from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.

The announcement followed a meeting between Saudi Arabia's Ambassador, Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki, and Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa earlier today at General Headquarters Rawalpindi.

During their meeting, Gen Bajwa and Al-Maliki discussed matters of "mutual interest", including the regional security situation, the ISPR press statement said.

The contingent will join Pakistani troops that are already stationed in Saudi Arabia and "will not be deployed outside the Kingdom", the statement read.

Pakistan already has around 1,180 troops in Saudi Arabia under a 1982 bilateral agreement. The deployed troops are mostly serving in training and advisory roles, according to a report.

Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share strong military ties. Pakistan is one of the 41 members of the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) that is being headed by a former army chief, the retired Gen Raheel Sharif. The military alliance was formally launched by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman last year.

Opinion

Editorial

Bilateral progress
18 Oct, 2024

Bilateral progress

WHILE there was no bilateral breakthrough during Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to...
Bracing for impact
18 Oct, 2024

Bracing for impact

CLIMATE change is here to stay. As Pakistan confronts serious structural imbalances, recurring natural calamities ...
Unfair burden
18 Oct, 2024

Unfair burden

THINGS are improving, or so we have been told. Where this statement applies to macroeconomic indicators, it can be...
Successful summit
Updated 17 Oct, 2024

Successful summit

Platforms like SCO present an opportunity for states to set aside narrow differences.
Failed tax target
17 Oct, 2024

Failed tax target

THE government’s plan to document retailers for tax purposes through its ‘voluntary’ Tajir Dost Scheme appears...
More questions
17 Oct, 2024

More questions

THE alleged rape of a student at a private college in Lahore has sparked confusion, social media campaigns, ...