ISLAMABAD:
Recent Western media reporting regarding the deployment of Pakistani troops and fighter jets to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is “selective in framing” and “misrepresentative of the true essence of long-standing bilateral defence cooperation” between the two brotherly countries, according to security sources.
Reuters, while quoting unnamed officials, reported on Monday that Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defence system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence pact, ramping 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 institutional, treaty-based and decades-old nature of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia strategic relations, which are rooted in mutual trust and shared historical commitments, said security sources.
They said Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence cooperation is not episodic or reactionary, but part of a structured and enduring partnership framework that has evolved over several decades. They stress that attempts to link routine deployments and joint arrangements to shifting 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.
