Gen Raheel allowed to lead Saudi military alliance: Kh Asif

ISLAMABAD: The government has agreed to give a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to former Chief of Army Staff General (retd) Raheel Sharif to lead the 39-nation alliance of Muslim states led by Saudi Arabia.

The revelation was made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in a TV interview. The minister said that official documentation in this regard had not been done but the government had agreed in principle adding that the government had received a written request from the Saudi government.

Asif added that he had visited Saudi Arabia for Umrah earlier this year and had also met officials of the Saudi government.

He said that in May the advisory board of defence ministers of member countries will attend a meeting held in this regard adding that the structure of the alliance had not been decided so far.

When General (retd) Raheel Sharif joins, he will define a structure, he said. In January this year, the defence minister had informed the Senate that the former army chief had not asked for an NOC to lead a Saudi led military alliance.