ISLAMABAD:
Recent Western media reports regarding the deployment of Pakistani troops and warplanes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are “selective in their wording” and “distort the true essence of the long-standing bilateral defense cooperation” between the two brotherly countries, according to security sources.
Reuters, citing unnamed officials, reported Monday that Pakistan had deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia as part of a mutual defense deal, boosting military cooperation with Riyadh even as Islamabad serves as the main mediator in Iran’s war.
Reuters media coverage lacks broader context and overlooks the institutional, treaty-based and decades-old nature of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia’s strategic relationship, which is rooted in mutual trust and shared historical commitments, security sources said.
They said defense cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is not episodic or reactionary, but is part of a structured and enduring partnership framework that has evolved over several decades. They point out that attempts to link routine deployments and joint arrangements to evolving regional tensions present an incomplete and “distorted” narrative. They argue that the relationship is rooted in deep religious, cultural, political and economic ties and cannot be viewed through a narrow geopolitical lens.
