ISPR responds to the news of General Raheel Sharif appointment
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The decision to appoint retired army chief Raheel Sharif as head of the 39-nation Islamic coalition was taken by the state of Pakistan, said a military spokesman on Wednesday.
"Raheel Sharif's appointment to the Saudi-led military alliance is a decision of the state of Pakistan," said Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor.
The government has given a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Raheel Sharif to lead the Saudi-led coalition of 39 Muslim countries.
Raheel Sharif was selected last year by Riyadh as the commander of the Saudi-led alliance of Muslim-majority countries aimed at counter-terrorism. But this prompted concerns among politicians and within the army command that Pakistan was becoming too involved in an organisation that excluded Iran and Iraq, where the government is dominated by Shiites.
A retired army general claimed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had agreed to Saudi Arabia’s request of appointing former army chief Raheel Sharif as the commander of the Muslim coalition hours before the news was made public.
“Before his meeting with Raheel Sharif, the Saudi defence minister had requested PM Nawaz that the then army chief should be made the commander of the 39-nation Muslim coalition,” said Major General (retired) Ejaz Awan in a talk show.
“He (Nawaz Sharif) told Raheel Sharif that the kingdom ‘wants you to lead the Saudi-led alliance after retirement. I have made the commitment, I have said yes to them. You don’t say no,’’’ he added.
Awan said it was the prime minister himself who decided that Raheel Sharif will be sent to Saudi Arabia to lead the Riyadh-based Islamic coalition against terrorism.
