RAWALPINDI: The decision to send additional Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia will depend on the evolving situation and approval from the political leadership of both countries, military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said.
The director general of Inter-Services Public Relations reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to defending Saudi Arabia and the holy sites of Makkah and Madinah, while outlining Islamabad’s position on regional diplomacy and security cooperation.
Chaudhry said any further deployment would be determined by circumstances and decisions taken by the two governments.
The response made additional deployment conditional on political approval, without announcing a new troop commitment.
He reasserted that Pakistan remained committed to the kingdom’s defence and the protection of its holy sites.
Chaudhry also distinguished that commitment from involvement in Yemen’s conflict, describing the fighting there as an internal Yemeni matter.
Pakistan, he said, was not a party to that conflict.
The military spokesperson expressed cautious optimism, pointing to Field Marshal Asim Munir’s two visits to Iran as an encouraging sign.
He suggested that repeated visits reflected some positive indications, while stopping short of announcing a breakthrough or outlining any agreement between the sides.
Chaudhry warned that influential actors could seek to undermine peace efforts.
He did not identify those actors, and his remarks underscored the uncertainty surrounding the diplomatic process.
Discussing the Makkah joint defence arrangement, Chaudhry said countries sharing a commitment to collective deterrence and regional peace could potentially join.
However, he focused on that any expansion would require a decision by the political leadership of the three participating countries.
Intelligence-Based Operations to Intensify in KP
Turning to domestic security, Chaudhry said counterterrorism activity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would intensify through intelligence-based operations, commonly known as IBOs.
He explained that the military’s approach centred on such operations rather than the launch of large campaigns.
