ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza this week met Iraq’s Secretary Defense Lt. Gen. Ahmed Dawood Salman to discuss enhancing defense and security cooperation between the two states, the army’s media wing said.
Pakistan’s relations with Iraq have enhanced in the past few years through defense cooperation, with Islamabad providing support to Iraqi security forces in their fight against the militant group Daesh. In 2014, Iraq purchased the Super Mushak trainer aircraft from Pakistan as part of improving defense ties between the two Muslim-majority countries.
Salman called on Mirza at the Joint Staff Headquarters in Pakistan’s garrison city of Rawalpindi on Monday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
“Matters of bilateral interests including emerging security environment and enhancement of security and defense cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the meeting,” the ISPR said.
The army’s media wing said Salman commended the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces and acknowledged the sacrifices rendered by the country’s people in its war against militancy.
Pakistan has been fighting religiously motivated militant groups in the country, notably the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or the Pakistani Taliban, since 2007. These militant outfits have carried out some of the deadliest attacks against the South Asian country’s armed forces and civilians, including suicide bombings.
Pakistan has seen a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since November 2022, after a fragile truce between the state and the TTP broke down.
Pakistan, Iraq discuss enhancing bilateral defense and security cooperation
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Pakistan, Iraq discuss enhancing bilateral defense and security cooperation
- Pakistan’s Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza meets Iraq’s defense secretary
- Lt. Gen. Ahmed Dawood Salman commended Pakistan’s armed forces for their professionalism, says army’s media wing
Islamic military coalition, Pakistan to deepen cooperation to combat ‘terrorism’ — Pakistani military
- Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition is a 43-member alliance that includes Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, UAE and other nations
- The Pakistani military statement comes after a meeting between IMCTC secretary-general and the chief of Pakistani defense forces in Rawalpindi
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation, including intelligence sharing and capacity building, to jointly combat “terrorism” and “extremism,” the Pakistani military said on Monday.
The IMCTC is a 43-member military alliance that was formed on Saudi Arabia’s initiative in Dec. 2015 to consolidate Muslim countries’ efforts in countering “terrorism.”
A 17-member IMCTC delegation is visiting Pakistan from Feb. 2-6 to conduct a training at National University of Sciences and Technology on “Re-integration and Rehabilitation of Extremist Elements,” according to the Pakistani military.
On Monday, IMCTC Secretary-General Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi held a meeting with Chief of Pakistani Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss cooperation among IMCTC member states.
“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest were discussed, with particular emphasis on regional security dynamics and enhanced cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing, said in a statement.
“Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to combating terrorism and extremism through collaborative strategies, intelligence sharing, and capacity building among member states.”
The IMCTC features Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Palestine, UAE, Bangladesh and other nations. In 2017, Pakistan’s former army chief Gen. (retd) Raheel Sharif was appointed as the IMCTC commander-in-chief.
During discussions with Major General Al-Moghedi, Field Marshal Munir appreciated the role of IMCTC in fostering stability and promoting coordinated counterterrorism initiatives across the Islamic world, according to the ISPR.
The IMCTC secretary-general acknowledged Pakistan’s significant contributions and sacrifices in the fight against militancy and lauded the professionalism of Pakistan’s armed forces.
“The meeting underscored the resolve of both sides to further strengthen institutional collaboration for peace, stability, and security in the region,” the ISPR added.
Pakistan enjoys cordial ties with most Muslim countries around the world, particularly Gulf Cooperation Council countries. In Sept. 2025, Pakistan signed a landmark defense pact with Saudi Arabia according to which an act of aggression against one country will be treated as an act of aggression against both.
