Gen. Sharif's appointment as chief of 39-nation military alliance 'approved': Defence Minister Asif

Islamabad [Pakistan], Mar. 26 (ANI): The Pakistan Government has given its green signal for retired Gen. Raheel Sharif to take charge as head of a 39-nation military alliance of Muslim states. In a video posted by Geo News, Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif can be heard saying that the government had agreed "in principle" to the arrangement after receiving a written request from the Saudi government. The procedures, however, have not yet been completed in this regard. The coalition was envisaged to serve as a platform for security cooperation, including a provision for training, equipment and troops and involvement of religious scholars for dealing with extremism, as reported by the Dawn. The minister also said that an advisory council of defence ministers of member countries is expected to meet in May to discuss the alliance's future. On January 11, Asif told the Senate that Sharif would be required to seek a no-objection certificate from the government prior to accepting the position assgined to him. "The rules laid down by the Ministry of Defence for post-retirement assignments of army officers will be applicable equally to Raheel Sharif," Asif had said in the Senate session. The defence minister's statement will be aired on Sunday evening at 10pm in a show aired by Geo News, reports the Dawn. (ANI)