EXCLUSIVE: Raheel Sharif to become the Army Chief of an unprecedented military force

ISLAMABAD (Saeed Chaudhry) - General (r) Raheel Sharif has accepted to take the command of Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT) on certain terms.

Gen (r) Raheel has gained worldwide popularity due to his remarkable counterinsurgency tactics that helped reduce violence in the country to its lowest level since 2006 with an overall decline of 70% in terrorist attacks under his tenure.

Sources have confirmed to Daily Pakistan that the former army chief has expressed his willingness to take the charge of the 39-nation military alliance, IMAFT, only if he is also empowered to play the role of an arbitrator between the belligerent groups in the Middle East. Gen Raheel has clearly refused to command a force which fights for a single country.

Meanwhile, Iran has also assured to accept Pakistan’s role in mediating Yemen crisis if the general takes IMAFT’s command with an authority of arbitrator.

Iran, through its consulate in Pakistan, sent a letter to the ex-COAS and assured that it will not only cooperate with Pakistan in controlling the Yemen crisis but will also bring the Houthi rebels on negotiating terms if he takes the command of this Islamic military alliance.

Sources add that General Raheel Sharif had expressed his willingness for the arbitration during his meeting with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, while Turkish leadership has also been conveyed the development in this regard.

The proposal was first presented to Gen Raheel by Saudi Arabia and then similar requests were made by Iran to Pakistan's foreign ministry as well. However, the general will only accept the offer if he is also allowed to mediate between the warring groups.

Founded by Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud on December 15, 2015, Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT) is based at a joint command centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The creation of this 34-nation alliance was first announced by Mohammad bin Salman Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's Miner of Defense, on December 15, 2015. By March 2016, this had risen to 39.

It is an inter-governmental military alliance of Muslim countries in the world united for military intervention against ISIL and other anti-terrorist activities across the Middle East and other countries.

Besides Pakistan, the members of this Muslim military alliance include: with Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Turkey, Bahrain, Bangladesh, UAE, Libya, Malaysia, Egypt and Jordan.