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“Pakistan’s participation in Saudi alliance not against any country,” COAS assures Iran

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  • Post last modified:20/04/2017
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ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday said that Pakistan greatly values the historic Pak-Iran relationship and the same shall continue based on mutual trust and respect for each other’s interests.

He was speaking to the Iran’s Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost in the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

This was the second time in over a month when Iranian envoy met army chief in an apparent effort by the two sides to iron out differences on Pakistan’s move to allow the former army chief General (Retd.) Raheel Sharif to head the Saudi-led counter-terrorism alliance.

Honardoost had previously met Gen Bajwa on March 4 just days before the government confirmed that Raheel Sharif would soon join the Saudi-led alliance as its head.

Iran has expressed concerns over the development raising fears that this may strain ties with Pakistan.

The 41-national alliance was announced in 2015 by Saudi Arabia with an apparent aim to fight growing threat of terrorism. Countries such as Iran, Iraq, and Syria are not part of the grouping; something that critics believe can deepen sectarian divisions in the Muslim world.

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M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.