ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Thursday that the army greatly valued its close brotherly ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during a meeting with the Commander of Royal Saudi Land Forces Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Al Mutair in Rawalpindi. 

According to an official statement issued by the military’s media wing, ISPR, the Saudi commander called on the Pakistan army chief to discuss regional security situation and other issues of mutual interest including cooperation in the fields of defense, security and military training. 

The statement added that the “visiting dignitary acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan Army’s sincere efforts in bringing peace to the region especially the Afghan Peace Process.” 

Earlier in the day, President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi thanked the military leaders of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Turkey and other friendly countries for participating in and attending a Pakistan Day parade despite challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic, saying their presence at the event was proof that they always stood by Pakistan. 

The Pakistan Day military parade is observed each year on March 23, but was postponed by two days this year due to bad weather. The event is at the center of celebrations to commemorate a 1940 resolution that called for the establishment of an independent homeland for the Muslims of British-ruled India. 

Other than the commander of the Royal Saudi Land Forces, the event was also attended by commander of the National Guard of the Kingdom of Bahrain, General Sheikh Mohamed Bin lsa Al-Khalifa, commander of the Sri Lankan Army General LHSC Silva and commander UK Strategic Command Sir Patric Sanders. 

Paratroopers from Bahrain, Palestine, Iraq and Turkey also participated. A famed Turkish Air Force aerobatic team called SOLOTURK conducted a demo flight, while members of a Turkish general staff Mehter team, an Ottoman military band, gave a performance of traditional Turkish music. 

“Grateful to the military forces of friendly countries, pilots and other participants whose presence here proves that they always remained and are with us in strengthening, development and prosperity of Pakistan,” Alvi said during his address at the parade in Islamabad. “We have very strong friendly, religious, cultural and historic relations with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other Gulf states and we want to further enhance them.” 

“There is a need to forget internal differences and strengthen inter-Muslim unity and Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) in order to counter the growing wave of Islamophobia in the world today,” Alvi added. 

The Pakistani prime minister’s special adviser on religious harmony and the Middle East, Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, said Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries “have strengthened and at the moment they are at their best, adding that the participation of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in the parade showed that the relationship was “multidimensional.” 

“Our ties with Arab world have strengthened not only religiously,” Ashrafi said, “but also socially, economically, diplomatically and defensively.” 

Republic Day celebrations this year were also dampened by a growing third wave of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Earlier this week, the Pakistan army said its parade had been postponed due to “inclement weather and rain” and would now be held on Thursday instead of Tuesday “as per program and timings already specified.”