Indonesia, Pakistan Step Up Defense Ties as Prabowo Hosts Air Force Chief

Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu met President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday (Feb. 12, 2026). Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Mohamad Tonny Harjono and the Defense Ministry’s logistics head, Air Vice Marshal Yusuf Jauhari, accompanied the delegation.

Before seeing Prabowo, Zaheer—according to Republika’s records—had met Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and TNI Commander Gen. Agus Subiyanto at TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Tuesday (Feb. 10, 2026). He was also received by Air Force chief Tonny at Air Force Headquarters in Cilangkap on the same day.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, who joined the palace meeting, said both countries were reaffirming their commitment to strengthen a strategic partnership across multiple areas, from defense to multilateral cooperation. He added that the historically close relationship between the two nations—dating back to before their independence—provides a strong foundation to push cooperation further.

“Pakistan and Indonesia are two brotherly countries. Historically, we have enjoyed very strong bilateral ties. And I am very happy to say that relations between our two nations existed even before the independence of both our countries,” Zahid told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta.

Against the backdrop of geopolitics and cooperation within the Muslim world, Zahid stressed the importance of closer coordination between the two countries, which together represent more than a quarter of the world’s Muslim population. On defense cooperation, he said, collaboration has been progressing well and will continue to be enhanced.

“As I mentioned earlier, Pakistan and Indonesia have very good cooperation in all areas, including defense collaboration. We have trained officers of the Indonesian armed forces and we will continue to enhance our bilateral defense collaboration,” Zahid said.

He also pointed to a rising tempo of high-level exchanges between the two countries, citing visits involving Defense Minister Sjafrie, Investment Minister Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, and Pakistan’s health minister, who visited Jakarta recently. “And we will soon hold another high-level meeting between Pakistan and Indonesia,” Zahid said.

According to Zahid, Pakistan and Indonesia have long worked closely across a range of strategic sectors. He noted that the momentum to deepen ties has become more visible in recent months. He singled out President Prabowo’s visit to Islamabad in January 2026 as a key milestone in bilateral relations.

“Last month, when the President of Indonesia, His Excellency Prabowo Subianto, visited Pakistan, I can say that it was a significant turning point in our already very good bilateral relationship,” he said.

Zahid also conveyed Pakistan’s hopes for Indonesia’s role in the Developing Eight (D-8) forum. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to support the hosting of the D-8 summit in Jakarta in April 2026.

“And we look forward to working with Indonesia for the success of the upcoming summit in Indonesia, and also for the success of the D-8 as an organization of cooperation among eight developing countries,” Zahid said.

Previously, during a visit to Islamabad on Monday (Jan. 12, 2026), Defense Minister Sjafrie met three key Pakistani figures linked to defense affairs: Pakistan’s Minister for Defence Production Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj, Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu.

Sjafrie’s meeting with the Pakistan air chief discussed the potential for an agreement that could include the sale of fighter jets and so-called kamikaze drones. The information was cited by three security officials who spoke to Reuters and were familiar with the meeting.

One source said the talks included a potential sale of the JF-17 Thunder Block III, a multirole fighter jet jointly developed by Pakistan and China, along with the Shahpar-II drone designed for surveillance and strike missions.

Two other sources said the discussions were at an advanced stage and involved more than 40 JF-17 jets. The sources did not share details on a delivery timeline or how many years the proposed deal would span.

Indonesianpost.com | Republika