The Head of Air Force of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, celebrated a series of high -level meetings with the military and political leadership of the United States in a historic visit to the country, emerged on Wednesday.
Last month, the field marshal also became the first head of the Army staff to have a face -to -face meeting with a president of the United States when Donald Trump met for conversations at the White House. The occasion also marked the first time that a Pakistani army chief was formally received at this level, without occupying a political position or governing according to martial law. The two had discussed the joint efforts against terrorism and the expansion of bilateral trade during their “cordial” meeting in Washington.
Today, the General Directorate of Public Relations of PAF (DGPR) said that in a “significant development” aimed at strengthening bilateral defense cooperation and the progress of mutual interests, the air chief made an official visit to the United States, and added that it was the “first by a PAF air chief in more than a decade.”
He said that the high profile visit marked a “strategic milestone” in the Defense Cooperation of Pakistan-United States and “proved to be essential to deepen institutional ties” in addition to addressing the key regional and global security problems.
The DGPR said that in the Pentagon, the head of air called the Secretary of the United States Air Force (International Affairs) Kelli L Seybolt and the head of personnel of the United States Air Force General, David W Allvin.
“The discussions focused on advancing in bilateral military cooperation, improving interoperability and exploring joint training paths and technology exchange. The head of the air staff highlighted the historical and multifaceted relationship between Pakistan and the United States, particularly in the domains of defense and security cooperation.
“He reiterated his resolution to further improve the existing ties in the fields of military cooperation and military training among the air forces of the two countries. The two parties also agreed to continue the continuation of the high -level military commitments in the future through interactions at a higher level,” said the DGPR.
He said that these interactions were considered crucial to maintain the impulse in the in progress in the areas of joint training, operating exercises and military exchange programs between the two nations.
In the United States Department of State, the Air Chief met with Brown L Stanley of the Office of Political-Military Affairs and Eric Meyer of the South Affairs Office and Central Asians. The DGPR said that meetings served as a forum to “underline Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional stability, his firm commitment to anti -terrorist efforts and his nuanced perspective on the geopolitical dynamics in evolution of the southern and central Asia.”
As part of his commitments in Capitol Hill, the air chief had “substantive dialogues with prominent members” of the United States Congress, including Mike Turner, Rich McCormick and Bill Huizanga.
“These interactions reinforced the importance of a solid commitment to strengthen bilateral relations and provided a valuable opportunity to share Pakistan’s opinions about strategic challenges, regional security frameworks and the impact of emerging technologies on defense cooperation.
“Emphasizing the status of Pakistan as a peace -loving nation, the aerial chief reaffirmed the country’s lasting sacrifices and the notable operational achievements in the global war against terror, while describing Pakistan’s evolutionary security calculation in response to the quickly changing regional geopolitical panorama.”
The DGPR said that the “historical visit” not only reaffirmed PAF’s commitment to promote regional and global peace, but also laid the foundations for renewed institutional collaboration, strategic dialogue and improved interoperability between IT and the United States Air Force.
