Minister says training of Saudi forces is governed by 1982 bilateral protocol concerning army’s deployment in KSAISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir on Monday refused to divulge the “operational details of troops deployment in Saudi Arabia” after he was summoned by Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani for a briefing on the issue. During the session, the defence minister said that Pakistan shares long-lasting and strong terms with Saudi Arabia and that at least 1,600 personnel are currently deployed in Arabia. Expressing displeasure with the “incomplete briefing”, Rabbani asked the minister to clarify the matter and answer concerns of the senators with regard to dispatching the troops to Saudi Arabia. Ahsan said that the government of Saudi Arabia has a “hostile stance” towards Iran and an action in this regard could cause tensions to escalate between Pakistan and Iran. The defence minister was in the house for a briefing after certain senators had expressed concerns over the recent policy statement given by the army.

Source: Pakistan Today February 19, 2018 15:33 UTC