Pak–Saudi Military Cooperation

The description by General Zia-ul-Haq of the US military aid offer, which came immediately after the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, as ‘peanuts’ and its rejection by him was not motivated by any altruistic considerations. A new entrant to non-aligned movement, Gen. Zia did not want to be identified openly as a receipient of direct US military assistance unless the quantity was large enough to satisfy the military establishment in Pakistan or the US–Pak agreement on defence cooperation (1959) was converted into a ‘stronger, clear and more effective’ treaty. In fact such a stand does not pose any problem for Gen. Zia-ul-Haq. China is reported to have assured Pakistan of continued supplies of light weapons. For the supply of sophisticated aircraft, modern tanks and communications systems, which China is said to be unable to provide, the United States is reported to have devised a convenient method by forming a sort of ‘Arm Pakistan Consortium’ through which the United States and other Western countries could transfer sophisticated and modern military equipment in what would appear to be a collective effort. Not unexpectedly the oil-rich Saudi Arabia and some other countries of the Gulf had agreed to play the vital role of financiers in these transactions for bolstering military strength of Pakistan.