Pakistan army stands with Saudi forces ‘in all fields,’ says Gen Bajwa

Saudi Arabia’s media minister Turki bin Abdullah Al-Shabanah and Maj. Gen. Talal Abdullah Alotaibi met with Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on July 31, 2019. (Photo courtesy: ISPR)

• Saudi media minister was in Pakistan where he also met with the foreign minister
• Both countries enjoy a long history of defense cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s media minister Turki bin Abdullah Al-Shabanah concluded his two-day visit to Pakistan on Wednesday after holding important meetings with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The Saudi dignitary was also accompanied by the Kingdom’s envoy to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, and adviser to defense minister, Maj. Gen. Talal Abdullah Alotaibi, during his meeting with the army chief on Wednesday.
“The Pakistan army stands with Saudi armed forces in all fields,” Gen Bajwa said during the meeting.
According to an official handout circulated by the military’s media wing, ISPR, the two sides focused on “regional security situation and matters of mutual interest.”
“The COAS said both countries have a history of defense cooperation which Pakistan greatly values,” the ISPR statement added.
A day earlier, Pakistan’s foreign minister also met with the Saudi minister and underscored the significance of his country’s relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Qureshi also termed the establishment of Pak-Saudi Supreme Coordination Council an important step toward promotion of political, economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries.
He also thanked the Kingdom for increasing the Hajj quota for Pakistani pilgrims to 200,000.
This was done by the Saudi authorities following the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Islamabad in February this year during which Prime Minister Imran Khan requested him to increase the quota from 184,210 to 200,000.
Both nations enjoy multi-faceted cooperation at various levels, too. Recently, Islamabad and Riyadh agreed to further enhance the existing cooperation in diverse fields.
The Kingdom also offered “record investment package” to Pakistan to stabilize its wobbly economy.
To help Pakistan deal with its depleting foreign exchange reserves and stave off a balance of payments crisis, Saudi Arabia pledged a $6 billion relief package for Pakistan last year.