ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Army spokesperson has made clarification about military presence in Saudi Arabia, confirming that Pakistani troops have been serving in the Kingdom for decades as the newly established Makkah defence framework moves toward practical implementation.
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistani Armed Forces personnel are already present in Saudi Arabia and have been operating across multiple capabilities and domains. In his interview with CNN, chief of military’s media wing made clear that the presence of Pakistani troops in the Kingdom is not a new development created by the recently signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Instead, he linked the military presence to the longstanding defence, diplomatic and political relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, as well as broader people-to-people ties between the two countries. The clarification comes at a time when international attention has intensified around Pakistan’s military role in Saudi Arabia amid growing regional security concerns.
Lt Gen Chaudhry had also addressed the issue in September, saying Pakistan stood with Saudi Arabia both diplomatically and physically. He had pointed out that Pakistani personnel were already serving in the Kingdom and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the defence of Saudi Arabia and protection of the Haramain Sharifain in Makkah and Madinah.
However, Islamabad has not disclosed the total number of Pakistani personnel currently stationed in Saudi Arabia or provided a complete breakdown of their capabilities and assignments.
Pakistan has instead described the broader relationship in terms of military training, advisory roles, defence cooperation and security coordination.
The latest clarification comes just days after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye took a major step toward implementing their collective-defence commitments. Under the agreement, an attack against one member is to be treated as an attack against all three countries, creating a collective-defence framework between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
The alliance entered a new phase during an emergency meeting of its Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh on October 5. The three countries agreed to move immediately toward implementing their collective-defence commitments and to take measures for providing the military forces and capabilities agreed upon under the framework.
While Pakistan has not publicly revealed the size of its military presence in Saudi Arabia, reports have suggested a significant increase in Pakistani military support for the Kingdom. International media reported that Pakistan had deployed around thousands of troops along with approximately 16 aircraft, most of them JF-17 fighter jets.
The reported deployment also included two drone squadrons and a Chinese HQ-9 air-defence system. According to the report, the aircraft were sent to Saudi Arabia in early April, with the military assets being operated by Pakistani personnel and financed by Saudi Arabia.
The reported Pakistani contingent was described as capable of supporting Saudi military operations if required, although some officials said its personnel were primarily performing training and advisory duties. The reported deployment was said to be in addition to Pakistani troops already serving in Saudi Arabia under earlier arrangements.
