Pakistan not to send troops to other countries: Nawaz

Islamabad, March 21 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday said that Islamabad will not send its troops to other countries, rejecting assumption that the country had changed its policy about Syria.

The reaction came amid speculations in the media that Pakistan has changed its policy towards Syria and could send troops to Saudi Arabia to back the Syrian opposition, Xinhua reported.

The reports appeared after a series of recent Saudi leaders’ visits to Pakistan.

Demanding a debate over Pakistan government’s foreign policy after Saudi Arabia gifted Islamabad $1.5 billion, Pakistan Peoples Party, the main opposition, alleged that Sharif-led governemnt may have changed it policy on Syria.

Sharif rejected the speculations when he was asked by media regarding it while visiting Punjab province’s Mianwali district for a function organised by the Pakistan Air Force.

“I dismiss the notion that some countries had asked for assistance of Pakistan’s armed forces to conduct operations in their land,” the prime minister said.

“No country has requested Pakistan to send its forces nor Pakistan will send its forces to any other country.”

He said that recent visits of the leadership of brotherly countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait were testimonies of their friendship and must not be linked with such assumptions.

Adressing the ceremony, Sharif said that Pakistan was not involved in the arms race but it was also not negligent with regards to its defence.

The army will be made strong from every aspect as it makes the country strong, he added.

The current visit of the king of Bahrain to Islamabad had stirred up speculation that the country could extend military cooperation to Bahrain as the kingdom is also fighting opposition there.