Visiting dignitary receives guard of honor from Tri Services contingent on arrival at GHQ
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defense Staff (CDF) Marshal Syed Asim Munir and Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces General Rodolphe Haykal meet at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. PHOTO: ISPR
Pakistan and Lebanon discussed regional security, defense cooperation and prospects of strengthening bilateral military ties during the talks between Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Marshal Asim Munir and Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces General Rodolphe Haykal, the army’s media wing said on Tuesday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two army chiefs met at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, and “the visiting dignitary was introduced by a well-organized tri-service contingent on his arrival at the GHQ.”
“During the meeting, the two dignitaries exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, developments in the regional security environment, defense cooperation and prospects for strengthening bilateral military relations,” the statement added.
The statement said the discussions focused on strengthening professional interactions, training cooperation and institutional ties between the armed forces of the two countries.
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“CDF Munir reaffirmed the importance Pakistan attaches to its long-standing cordial relations with Lebanon and underlined the Pakistan Army’s commitment to expanding defense collaboration with the Lebanese Armed Forces,” the ISPR said.
He added that General Rodolphe Haykal appreciated the professionalism and operational excellence of the Pakistani Armed Forces and recognized their contributions to regional peace, stability and international peacekeeping efforts.
“The visit reflects the shared commitment of the two armed forces to foster closer military cooperation,” the statement concluded.
War in Lebanon
Israel invaded Lebanon in March after Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets and drones across the border. Lebanon and Israel said on June 3 that they had agreed to a ceasefire following negotiations in Washington.
Israel struck Beirut suburbs on Sunday for the first time since the United States announced a truce plan for Lebanon last week, and an Iranian lawmaker threatened to retaliate, jeopardizing negotiations to end the broader war.
Iran has long said any peace deal with the United States would depend on a ceasefire also in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March to pursue Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters who fired across the border in solidarity with Tehran.
Trump has relied on Israel to scale back its campaign in Lebanon to make way for a peace deal with Iran, including berating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with obscenities in a phone call last week. After the call, Netanyahu called off airstrikes on Beirut and agreed to the latest truce plan with the Lebanese government.
But Israel never completely stopped its campaign in Lebanon, which killed thousands and drove hundreds of thousands from their homes. Hezbollah, which was “not a party” to the truce and would be dismantled under its terms, also continued its attacks and said it would not give up its weapons unless Israel ceased fighting and withdrew.
The war as a whole has been stalemated since the United States and Israel suspended attacks on Iran in early April, with Tehran blocking most shipping passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the Middle East’s main oil transit route. Washington imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports.
Although the two sides have said they are close to a preliminary agreement to reopen the strait, they have exchanged strikes several times, with escalation in recent days including attacks on neighboring Arab states hosting US bases.
