Gen Bajwa expresses grief over demise of Saudi deputy defence minister

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has expressed grief over the sad demise of Assistant Defence Minister Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Ayesh.

The army chief extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and Saudi leadership. “May Allah Almighty bless the departed soul in eternal peace,” the army chief was quoted as saying by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement on Saturday.

He added the country and Pakistan Army had lost a true friend who was a shining symbol of the exemplary brotherly relationship between the two countries.

“We stand with our Saudi brethren in committing ourselves to the ideals of fraternity and brotherhood that he always championed,” the COAS said.

Saudi Arabia’s assistant minister of defense, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Ayesh, passed away on Friday, aged 68. In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said he had been suffering from an illness.

Al-Ayesh had been appointed to the position in May 2014 having previously been commander-in-chief of the Royal Saudi Air Forces (RSAF) between 2010 and 2013.