ISLAMABAD:
Recent Western media reports on the deployment of Pakistani troops and fighter jets to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are “selective in their formulation” and “misrepresent the true essence of the long-standing bilateral defense cooperation” between the two brotherly countries, according to security sources.
Reuters, while citing unnamed officials, reported on Monday that Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defense pact, stepping up military cooperation with Riyadh even as Islamabad serves as the main mediator in the Iran war.
The Reuters coverage lacks broader context and overlooks the decades-old, treaty-based and institutional nature of strategic relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which are rooted in mutual trust and shared historical commitments, security sources said.
They said defense cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is neither episodic nor reactionary but is part of a structured and enduring framework of partnership that has evolved over several decades. They highlight that attempts to link routine deployments and joint agreements to changing regional tensions present an incomplete and “distorted” narrative. They say the relationship is anchored in deep religious, cultural, political and economic ties, and cannot be viewed through a narrow geopolitical lens.
