“North Thunder” reaffirms Pakistan stands with ME against terrorism
Islamabad, Pakistan: “The presence of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif at the closing ceremony of “North Thunder” military exercises in King Khaled Military City in North Eastern Saudi Arabia testifies readiness of Pakistan Army to combat any threat to brotherly middle eastern countries from terrorists outfits like ISIS.
These military exercises that started on February 14 provided an excellent chance to soldiers of Middle Eastern countries and Pakistan to develop synchronization with each other while fighting together against terrorists if the need arises in future”.
These were observation experts in one of the most popular PTV Current Affairs show of “Khabar Kay Sath Sath” hosted and anchored by Naheed Ch on Thursday.
Participant of show included senior journalists Rana Qaisar Tariq Mehmood Chaudhary and Agha Iqrar Haroon.
Experts were of the view that participation of military and civil leadership of Pakistan sent a categorical message to the entire world that Pakistan is an important stakeholder in Muslim world and any threat to friendly countries including Saudi Arabia would be considered a threat to Pakistan itself.
Participants of penal discussion added that with the participation of various military disciplines of artillery, tanks, infantry, and air defense systems as well as naval forces of 21 Arab and Islamic countries proved that the “North Thunder” was the largest military drill in the world in terms of the number of participating forces.
Military exercises of all these brotherly countries focus on training forces on how to deal with terrorist groups. The main goal of the exercise was to improve training in responding to the threat posed by terrorist groups.
Experts were of the view that Pakistan enjoys cordial and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia, which are characterized by strong bonds of affinity, mutual respect and solidarity, and draw strength from shared historical, cultural and Islamic values. Both countries enjoy multi-faceted cooperation including in the fields of defense and counter-terrorism and people of Pakistan hold the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in high esteem.
Participants said that the government of Pakistan has affirmed that Pakistan will always stand shoulder to shoulder with our Saudi brethren against any threat to territorial integrity and sovereignty of Saudi Arabia.
Experts were of the opinion that Pakistan has consistently supported all regional and international efforts to combat militancy, extremism and terrorism and, to this end, has extended its full support and cooperation to the international community including these exercises.
The exercise aimed to raise the technical and combat efficiency of the units involved and improve logistics and readiness rates for the implementation of joint security and stability missions in the region. According to a rough estimation, around 150,000 soldiers, 2,540 warplanes, 20,000 tanks, and 460 helicopters participated in the largest military exercise in the history of the region.
