Minister for Defence Khurram Dastgir Khan on Sunday assured Saudi Arabia and the member countries of Pakistan’s support and cooperation within the mutually agreed framework of Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
The defence minister was representing Pakistan at the first meeting of Defence Ministers of IMCTC in Riyadh on Sunday. Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman chaired the meeting.
The defence minister acknowledged and appreciated the efforts of Saudi Arabian leadership in building partnerships to counter the scourge of terrorism and extremism. He highlighted Pakistan’s key role in the global fight against terrorism and showcased Pakistan’s successful counter-terrorism operations and the comprehensive National Action Plan.
On this occasion, Military Commander of Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition General (Retd) Raheel Sharif said the sole objective of the military coalition was to counter terrorism. He said the coalition was not against any country or sect.
General (r) Raheel Sharif said while all individual states were making efforts against the menace of terrorism, the required level of the synergy and resources were lacking. He said the IMCTC would support its partners mainly through intelligence sharing and capacity building.
“The Muslim world is the biggest sufferer of terrorism and during the past six years, more than 70 percent of all deaths attributed to terrorism, have occurred in Muslim countries,” he said.
The former army chief said fight against the faceless enemy with extremist ideology was complex and challenging and required collaboration.