ISLAMABAD- Pakistan’s military chief on Tuesday left for United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a two-day tour, his first in the present official capacity and second to an Arab country in less than a month.
Conspicuously, the visit takes place against the backdrop of the reports that Saudi Arabia has refused to purchase JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan after the oil rich Arab state was reported to have struck a $60 billion defence deal with the United States that would allow the latter to sell its defence hardware to the former.
However, the security sources argued that the visit of Chief of Army staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif to the UAE was scheduled well in time, which, the officials insisted, had nothing to do with the JF-17 Thunder sell-off negotiations.
“It was very much pre-planned,” a security official commented about the said tour, saying the visit was planned the end of last December.
The issue of JF-17 Thunder sales, he believed, was unrelated to the military chief. “A defence production project that primarily concerns the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is something quite unrelated to the COOAS. It’s for the air chief to take up discussions with the officials concerned on any such venture.” 
Requesting anonymity, a retired air vice marshal said, Pakistan’s security establishment was in negotiations with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Qatar and UAE for selling JF-17 Thunder. “There are reports that Saudi Arabia has refused to buy Pakistan’s fighter jets which implies that pressure must have mounted on the defence and military bosses to use their clout on this count in getting a breakthrough with other states even if the issue does not officially concern them.”
Talking to The Nation, Air Commodore (r) Manzoor Hussain, a defence analyst, said the issue of JF-17 Thunder sell-off carried national importance. “It is a matter of wider national interest and not something specifically pertaining to the PAF. And if you look into the things in this particular context, it stands reasoned to see the military authorities pursing the matter, officially and unofficially.”
Lately, the reports suggest, Pakistan was in negotiations with the Saudi authorities for selling JF-17 Thunder before the Saudi Arabian defence minister and Crown Prince  Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is said to have communicated his government’s refusal to buy JF-17 Thunder during his recent visit to Pakistan. The Saudi authorities, according to the media reports, had agreed to but six JF-17 Thunder jets.
Earlier, Gen Raheel Sharif had visited Saudi Arabia in the first week of February.
“Some countries oppose Pakistan selling the fighter jets to another state. It would be really tricky and challenging to get a breakthrough in this regard,” Manzoor Hussain believed.
On the COAS visit to UAE, a one-line from Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the army chief had left for two-day official visit to the UAE, without sharing any additional information.
The general is scheduled to meet the UAE’s top government functionaries including UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Last December, the 50th JF-17 Thunder was inducted in the PAF’s existing fleet of the fighter jets. The related ceremony was held at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra. chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The aircraft is a joint venture of Pakistan and China.