*Pakistani Forces Already Present in Saudi Arabia, Makkah Defence Alliance Not Formed in a Vacuum: DG ISPR*

RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General (retd) Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has confirmed the presence of Pakistani forces in Saudi Arabia, saying Pakistani troops have been stationed in the kingdom for decades and that the Makkah Defence Alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye was not formed in a vacuum.

Speaking to a foreign television channel, the DG ISPR said Pakistani armed forces were already present in Saudi Arabia and that defence cooperation between the two countries had continued for several decades.

Lieutenant General (retd) Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistani forces in Saudi Arabia were performing responsibilities of a multifaceted nature and maintaining capabilities across various areas.

He said the Makkah Defence Alliance should not be viewed merely as a defence arrangement, but as an extension of the longstanding diplomatic, political, economic, military and people-to-people ties between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

The DG ISPR maintained that defence cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was not a new development, but an important component of the longstanding and multifaceted relationship between the two countries.