Pakistan, Qatar hold second round of Higher Military Cooperation talks

F.P. Repor

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s top military official, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, held talks with Qatari leaders on Thursday as part of the second round of the Higher Military Cooperation Committee (HMCC), a bilateral platform for defense and security dialogue, the military said.

Mirza, who serves as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), met Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Qatar’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Jassim Mohammad Ahmed Al-Mannal during his official visit to Doha.

“Both sides discussed the evolving regional security dynamics and reaffirmed their shared commitment to peace and stability at regional and global level,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

It added that Mirza “highlighted historic brotherly ties between both nations and discussed the future dimensions of cooperation in defense and security domains within the ambit of HMCC.”

Qatar’s civil and military leadership, according to ISPR, “acknowledged Pakistan’s pivotal and responsible role in ensuring regional stability and appreciated professionalism and sacrifices of Pakistan Armed Forces in fight against terrorism.”

Pakistan and Qatar share close defense ties, including military training, joint exercises and strategic cooperation.

The visit follows regular high-level exchanges, including the 2023 meeting between Qatar’s then armed forces chief Lt. Gen. Salem Hamad Eqail Al-Nabet and Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir to discuss regional security.