Editing Pakistan Armed Forces (section)

===Middle Eastern countries===
{{Main|Pakistan–Saudi Arabia relations|Iran–Pakistan relations|Pakistan–Turkey relations|Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation}}
[[File:Ships during the exercise Arabian Shark '08.jpg|thumb|Pakistan Navy ships deployed in the [[Arabian Sea]], near [[Oman]].]]

Pakistan's close ties to the nations of the Middle East, based on geography and shared religion, have led to periodic military deployments since the 1960s. The [[Arab world]] countries – many of them wealthy but with small populations and limited militaries – have historically depended on regional armies to provide a protective umbrella and military muscle in times of instability and crisis.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/views/2011/05/12/148835.html |title=The impact of Jordan on Arab Gulf States |access-date=12 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517003728/http://english.alarabiya.net/views/2011/05/12/148835.html |archive-date=17 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Pakistani military has retained a particularly close relationship with [[Saudi Arabia]] which has been a sporadically generous patron: much of the military equipment bought from the United States by Pakistan in the 1980s was paid for by Saudi Arabia. The [[United Arab Emirates]] (UAE) and [[Kuwait]] also have been important sources of financial support.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4333218.stm |work=BBC News |title=Race to save earthquake survivors |date=12 October 2005 |access-date=20 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051220133717/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4333218.stm |archive-date=20 December 2005 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Pakistani military personnel have been posted as military advisers and instructors to the militaries of [[Military of Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]], [[Military of Jordan|Jordan]], [[Military of Syria|Syria]], [[Military of Libya|Libya]], [[Military of Kuwait|Kuwait]], and the [[Military of United Arab Emirates|UAE]]. Pakistan Air Force, Navy, and Army personnel played crucial roles in building the [[Military of United Arab Emirates|UAE military]]. Many Arab military officials have been educated at Pakistan's military staff colleges and universities. A combat division commanded by Major-General [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Zia-ul-Haq]] was instrumental in putting down the Palestinian [[Black September in Jordan|Black September]] revolt against King Hussein in [[Jordan]] in the early 1970s.

[[File:Parallel steps - Navy Guards replacing the Older Ones at Mazar-e-Quaid during Pakistan's Independence Day.jpg|thumb|left|Navy guards marching in 2009.]]
Pakistan has enjoyed strong military co-operation with the [[Military of Iran|Iranian military]] since the 1950s. Iranian leader [[Mohammad Reza Shah]] provided free fuel to PAF fighter jets in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]], allowing Pakistani planes to land at [[Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force|Iranian Air Force]] bases, refuel, and take off. The military relationship continued even after the [[Iranian revolution]], as Pakistan was among the first countries to recognise the new Iranian government. In the aftermath of the [[Iran hostage crisis|hostage crisis]] in [[Tehran]], the United States severed its ties with Iran, leading Iran to send its military officers and personnel to be educated at Pakistani military academies. Relations became difficult following the [[Soviet–Afghan War]], when hundreds of foreign fighters (mostly Sunni Arabs) arrived in Pakistan to take part in the [[Afghan Jihad]]. Pakistan President [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Zia-ul-Haq]]'s military administration policy reflected extremist views towards the [[Shias|Shiites]] and caused [[Sectarianism in Pakistan|religious tensions]] to rise between [[Sunni]] and Shiites in Pakistan, much to the discomfort of Iran. During the [[Iran–Iraq War]], the [[Arab world|Arab countries]] and the United States, who were [[International aid to combatants in the Iran–Iraq War|supporting]] Iraq, pressured Pakistan to discontinue its covert support and military funding for Iran.

The 1980s were a difficult time in military relations for both countries, as Iran was blamed for the rising ethnic tensions between Sunnis and Shiites in Pakistan. The relationship further deteriorated in the 1990s when the [[Afghan Taliban|Taliban]], with Pakistan's support, began [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|their rule of Afghanistan]]. In 1998, Iran and Afghanistan were on the verge of war over the [[1998 Iranian diplomats murder in Afghanistan|assassination of Iranian diplomats]]. Iran's relations with India improved during this time, with both supporting the [[Northern Alliance]] against the Taliban.

The situation began to normalise in 2000, with Pakistan and Iran reinstating [[Iran–Pakistan trade relations|trade relations]]. In the wake of the [[11 September attacks]] in the United States and the fall of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, the two countries began rebuilding their military ties. Over the years, diplomatic delegations have been exchanged, and Pakistan has agreed to sell military equipment to Iran. In addition, Pakistan has maintained strong military-to-military ties with [[Turkey]], and would like to use these, as well as its Iranian connections, as a bridge to the new Muslim states of Central Asia.

Bilateral relations deteriorated after Pakistan refused to participate in the [[Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen|Saudi-led intervention in Yemen]], but it subsequently participated in the "[[Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition]]" (IMCTC) alliance in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Al Qaed |first=Anas |date=2023-01-31 |title=Pakistan's "Defense Diplomacy" Offers Inroads with the Gulf Monarchies |url=https://gulfif.org/pakistans-defense-diplomacy-offers-inroads-with-the-gulf-monarchies/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=Gulf International Forum |language=en}}</ref>