Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday called on General Mohamed Zaki, Commander in Chief of Egyptian Armed Forces and Minister of Defence and Military Production, and Lt Gen Mohamed Farid Hegazy, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, during his visit to Cairo.
A statement issued by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that matters of mutual interest, military to military relations, defence and security cooperation were discussed during the meeting.
It said that the Egyptian leadership highly appreciated the professionalism of Pakistan Army and the determination of the Pakistani nation in combating terrorism. Both sides agreed to increase bilateral cooperation in multiple fields including joint ventures, defence production, training and intelligence. They also agreed to improve cooperation for regional peace and stability.
The statement mentioned that the army chief also met Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar who also commended the efforts of Pakistan Army in eliminating the scourge of terrorism from the country.
The cleric also appreciated the issuance of Paigham-e-Pakistan fatwa on issues arising from extremism by religious scholars from all schools of thoughts in Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, the COAS emphasized the need to harness the energies of the Muslim youth towards enlightenment, technological advancement, moderation and harmony.
Published in Daily Times, December 18th2018.