Govt permits Raheel Sharif to head Muslim Military alliance

ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan has formally agreed to give No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to former military chief General Raheel Sharif to head a 39-Nation military alliance of Muslim States.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif talking to Geo News revealed that the government has given the permission to ex-Chief of Army Staffs (COAS) to head a 39-Nation alliance; however, formal documentation is yet to be made in this regard.

Government has received Saudi Arabia’s written request in this regard, he told in an exclusive talk with the channel.

The Minister added that he had visited Saudi Arabia for Umrah earlier this year, and had also met Saudi officials.

Asif said that in May the advisory board of defense ministers of member countries will attend a meeting held, adding that the structure of the alliance had not been decided so far. “When General (Retd) Raheel Sharif joins he will define a structure,” he said.

In January 2017, the defence minister had informed the senate that the Raheel Sharif had not asked for an NOC to lead a Saudi led military alliance.

News of the alliance's formation was first reported in December 2015, with reports of Middle Eastern, African and Asian states including Saudi Arabia, Gulf states, Pakistan, Egypt being part of the then 34 nation coalition.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Sudan, Malaysia, Egypt, Yemen and other Muslim countries are said to be part of the coalition. The Joint Command Centre, headquarters of the military alliance is located in Riyadh.

The coalition would tackle "the Islamic world's problem with terrorism and will be a partner in the worldwide fight against this scourge" announced Saudi defence minister and deputy crown prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud at a press conference in Riyadh in 2015.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017