Saudi-led military coalition ‘not against any country, nation or sect’

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani briefed by Gen (retd) Raheel Sharif on IMCTC in Saudi Arabia


Khalid Mehmood December 19, 2018
Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani briefed by Gen (retd) Raheel Sharif on IMCTC in Saudi Arabia. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani army chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif, who is now the commander general of a Saudi Arabia-led multi-nation Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), assured Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani that the military alliance was not aimed at any country, nation or sect.

He said this while briefing the Senate chairman, who is on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, on performance and objectives behind formation of the military alliance. Gen (retd) Raheel Sharif’s deputy General Abdul Rehman was also present on the occasion.

The former army chief said the basic objective of IMCTC was to fight against the menace of terrorism until its eradication. He also dismissed the notion that the military coalition was aimed against any particular country, nation or sect without any mentions.

However, Iran and Saudi Arabia are regional rivals and have supported opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen and different political factions in Iraq and Lebanon.

SC gives govt a month to issue NOC to former army chief

The Senate chairman and other senators in the Pakistani delegation appreciated Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his government’s resolve and efforts made towards eradicating terrorism.

Saudi Arabia had acquired the services of Gen (retd) Raheel as head of the IMCTC cobbled together in December 2015.

The meeting takes place days after the Supreme Court ruled the foreign employment of General (retd) Raheel shall cease with immediate effect if the federal government does not grant him a No Objection Certificate (NOC) within a month.

“Let the secretary, Ministry of Defence file a report in this regard within one month from the issuance of this judgement and in case the requisite NOC is not granted by the cabinet within such time, the foreign employment of General (retd) Raheel Sharif shall cease with immediate effect,” says the judgement issued by a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, in the dual nationalities case on Sunday.

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