PM, army chief will visit Saudi Arabia to witness 'Thunder of the North' military exercises

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Raheel Sharif will travel to Saudi Arabia on March 9 to witness the ongoing 'Thunder of the North' military exercises.

The three-day visit will be undertaken on invitation of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, a Foreign Office statement said on Monday.

Along with the prime minister, a number of heads of state have also been invited to witness the ongoing military exercise 'Thunder of the North' and its closing ceremony.

Chief of Army Staff will accompany the Prime Minister on his visit to Saudi Arabia along with Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) March 7, 2016

On special invitation,#COAS will visit KSA and witness ongoing Military Exercises from 9th of March,in the field for two days

— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) March 7, 2016

20 nations, including Pakistan join major military manoeuvre in Saudi

Troops from 21 countries, including Pakistan, are participating in the exercise in the northern region of Saudi Arabia. The main goal of the exercise is to enhance training in responding to the threat posed by terrorist groups.



Dubbed as “the most important” military manoeuvre ever staged in the region, the exercise involves ground, air, and naval forces and sends a “clear message” that Riyadh and its allies “stand united in confronting all challenges and preserving peace and stability in the region".

Pakistan enjoys cordial relations with Saudi Arabia, and both the countries have multi faceted cooperation, in the fields of defence and counter-terrorism.



Pakistan has reaffirmed its stance on standing with Saudi Arabia against any threat to their territorial integrity and sovereignty.

It has also consistently supported all regional and international efforts to combat militancy, extremism and terrorism and has extended full support and cooperation to the Kingdom.