Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society (PESS) President Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum has suggested that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries should forge regional alliances and ensure self-reliance for their national security.

Speaking at a press conference here, he stressed that Pakistan must take a leading role in fostering unity within the Muslim world by working toward the formation of a strong and cohesive bloc.

He emphasised the importance of bringing together key countries, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and GCC states, to collectively address emerging regional challenges.

Gen Qayyum asserted that US military bases in the Middle East were primarily meant to serve their geo-strategic and geo-economic objectives rather than ensuring the security of host nations. He argued that the current conflict has exposed US military bases in GCC countries as potential sources of insecurity and vulnerability rather than safety and stability.

He strongly condemned the recent American attack on Iran, terming it an unprovoked act carried out at the behest of a declared war criminal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.