Egypt praises Pak efforts in war against terrorism during Gen Bajwa's visit

CAIRO/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday called on his Egyptian counterpart and the country's defence minister during his official visit to the nation.

A contingent of the Egyptian Army welcomed Gen Bajwa with a guard of honour at Cairo's Defence Ministry headquarters.

In its press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Gen Bajwa, discussed "matters of mutual interest, military to military relations, defence & security cooperation" with Gen Mohamed Zaki, the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces and minister for defence and military production, as well as Lieutenant Gen Mohamed Farid Hegazy, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces.

With the Egyptian top brass commending Pakistan's efforts to eliminate terrorism from the region and the Pakistan Army's role in it, the two sides "agreed to increase bilateral cooperation in multiple fields including joint ventures, defence production, training and intelligence.

"Both also agreed to improve cooperation for regional peace and stability," the ISPR's statement added.

Separately, COAS Gen Bajwa also had a meeting with Grand Imam of the al-Azhar Mosque Sheikh Ahmed Al-Tayeb, who also appreciated the Pakistan Army's work and said: "Islam is a religion of moderation and a complete code of conduct, which must not be linked with terrorism / extremism in the global community."

The statement also noted that Gen Bajwa "emphasised the need to harness Muslim youth towards enlightenment, technological advancement, moderation and harmony".

COVER: Egyptian top brass welcomes Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Cairo. Image: ISPR