Raheel sets conditions for heading Islamic military alliance

KARACHI: Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Raheel Sharif has put forth three conditions to assume the command of a 39-nation Islamic military alliance, a retired army officer claimed on Tuesday. Former Pakistan army officer Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib told the media that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had given approval after the Saudi authorities expressed their desire to appoint General (retd) Raheel as the chief of the military alliance.

The prime minister, Lt-Gen Amjad said, told the Saudi government that it would be an honour for the country. The former military officer revealed that General (retd) Raheel set three conditions for taking up the new job and said that he will not work under anyone’s command. Secondly, the former COAS asked to include Iran in the military alliance so that the organisation doesn’t look sectarian in nature.  He also said that General (retd) Raheel said that he will have the mandate to act as an arbitrator if there is a need to promote harmony among the Muslim countries.