By JOHN CHERIAN
Retired army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif’s (right) new job as the head of a Saudi-led military alliance despite Pakistan’s stated position of maintaining neutrality in the war in Yemen raises diplomatic concerns and invites criticism within the country. Seen above with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (no relation) PHOTO/Daily Pakistan
After he retired as Pakistan’s army chief, General Raheel Sharif did not have to wait long for his next job. The Saudi Arabian government selected him as the head of the so-called Islamic army that has been in the works for some time now. The stated aim of the “Islamic army”, which the regional media has dubbed as the “Muslim NATO”, is to fight extremism and terrorism in the region and the Horn of Africa. Seen as a “counterterrorism” alliance of 39 Sunni states, it is funded mainly by the Saudi monarchy and the rich Gulf emirates and will have its headquarters in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
The Saudi government announced the military alliance’s creation in December 2015 as it embarked on a fratricidal war against neighbouring Yemen. At the moment, the Saudi-led alliance is fighting a sectarian war in Yemen.
Among the countries listed as members of the alliance are Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan, all of which have big and powerful armed forces. Even Nigeria, which is a secular republic with an almost evenly divided population of Muslims and Christians, has pledged support for the alliance. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari made the commitment during an official visit to Saudi Arabia two years ago. His decision, taken without consulting the country’s lawmakers or even his own Cabinet colleagues, had taken his countrymen by surprise.
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