Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on a two-day official visit on Tuesday.
This is the first visit to the Kingdom by any high profile Pakistani dignitary after tensions cropped up between the two longtime strategic partners following Pakistan’s refusal to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) alliance which launched a military offensive against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Upon arrival, General Raheel Sharif was accorded a warm welcome on the airport where deputy defence minister and Saudi Land Forces commander received the army chief.
Later, the army chief held a crucial meeting with the Saudi Military Forces Chief of General Staff (CGS) General Abdul Rehman Bin Saleh Al-Bunyan.
The meeting covered the military to military relations, defence cooperation and regional security between KSA and Pakistan. The two commanders discussed a host of issues related to professional matters as well.
A diplomatic source told Pakistan Today on condition of anonymity that the army chief is likely to meet King Salman Bin Abdel Aziz, Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. However, nothing has been finalised as yet.
The visit by General Sharif would be closely watched by the international and regional players as this trip is critical in shaping the future relations between the two countries.
Pakistan possesses strong defence capabilities while Saudi Arabia is now looking for defence equipment and support from the countries of the region to augment its defence operations.
After Pakistan’s refusal to join the coalition forces taking part in Yemen attack, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a much hyped trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made an offer of defence support to the KSA.
A fleet of Indian fighter jets also landed in Saudi city of Qatif to show Indian support to the KSA-led coalition against Yemeni rebels.
Adding to the woes of the GCC forces, the source said, the area reclaimed by the GCC alliance in South Yemen is even not under control of the alliance forces and the people of the area are demanding liberation.
Moreover, Moody’s credit rating of Saudi Arabia has been downgraded significantly to Aa3 which puts it in the “stable” category, but latest reports from the ratings agency say that Saudi Arabia’s fiscal position is weakening.
The diplomatic source said that while Pakistan had already committed to defend the territorial integrity of the Kingdom, the KSA government wanted ground troops to take part in the Yemen offensive.
“Saudi Arabia has the best and most modern military equipment but they badly need battle hardened military officers to augment their operations in Yemen. Even after six months of the Yemen campaign, the GCC forces are failing to make significant gains in the region. Instead, the rebels have rattled the Saudi army’s plans and brought the war to a stalemate,” the source said.
The source said that frustrated with its failure in Yemen, KSA government had hired mercenaries from Columbia who were being paid hefty amounts by the coalition for their services in Yemen.
“Now the KSA government needs more troops on the ground while Pakistan has repeatedly resisted the move. In this backdrop, Army Chief Raheel Sharf’s visit is very critical,” the source said.
