For the last two months, mystery and confusion has shrouded Gen. Raheel Sharif, Pakistan's retired army chief, over whether he will be the supreme commander of the Saudi-led "Islamic military alliance" created by Riyadh in 2015. News of Sharif's appointment has been widely criticized in Pakistan, and the drama underscores the friction in the Saudi-Pakistani relationship.
Sharif retired as chief of army staff last fall. The highlight of his tenure in office was a major crackdown on the Pakistani Taliban that has plagued the country with horrific terror attacks. Pakistan continued to support other terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, but it is at war with the Pakistani Taliban and now with the Islamic State (IS) that has created an infrastructure in the country.