Egypt, Pakistan discuss joining forces against Muslim Brotherhood
Relations between Egypt and Pakistan have grown stronger as both countries seek to restrict the Muslim Brotherhood and parties supporting the group as well as fight extremism in Pakistan.
Egypt has been making overtures to Pakistan in a bid to increase its influence there and curtail the power of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups in Islamabad.
In a June 13 meeting in Cairo with Lt. Gen. Nadeem Raza, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of the Pakistan Armed Forces, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed that he was looking forward to developing bilateral cooperation with Pakistan in combatting terrorism and extremism.
Al-Azhar has a training program for imams from abroad, including from Pakistan. Egyptian imams also travel to Pakistan to give training courses for imams there. On June 14, Raza called on Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb to send imams and preachers to Islamabad to raise awareness among the Pakistani army on extremist ideologies.
Tayeb responded, “The imam training program continuously receives imams from Pakistan. We will intensify these courses to support Pakistan in confronting extremist ideas.”
