LONDON:
Nuclear-armed Pakistan’s mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia may have a cascading effect in the Arabian Peninsula, as Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar hinted on Friday that other countries are also showing interest in forging similar pacts with Islamabad.
“It is premature to say anything definitive, but after this development, other countries have expressed interest in similar arrangements,” said Ishaq Dar, who is also the defence minister of Pakistan, while speaking to journalists in London. “However, such agreements follow a due process. Even with Saudi Arabia, it took several months to finalise.”
Riyadh and Islamabad signed the defence pact late on Wednesday, significantly strengthening a decades-old security partnership a week after Israel’s reckless strike on Qatar upended the diplomatic calculus in the region. The development came at a time when Gulf Arab states are growing increasingly wary about the reliability of the United States as a security guarantor.
Dar described the agreement as a “historic milestone”, noting that while there had always been an implicit understanding – among both the government and the people of Pakistan – regarding the country’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security, especially the protection of the two Holy Mosques, the signing of the pact has now formalised that sentiment.
Both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are satisfied and happy with the agreement, he said, adding that the kingdom has consistently stood by Pakistan during difficult times. “Saudi Arabia played a key role in supporting Pakistan following the international crisis and during the recent economic crisis,” he added.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Reuters that nuclear weapons were “not on the radar” of the pact. He said the agreement could be extended to cover other Gulf nations.
“We have no intention of using this pact for any aggression,” said Asif. “But if the parties are threatened, then obviously this arrangement will become operative.”
Asked whether Pakistan would now be obliged to provide Saudi Arabia with a nuclear umbrella, a senior Saudi official told Reuters: “This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means.”
A statement from Saudi Arabia said the pact “aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence”.
The Saudi government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Pakistan’s nuclear weapons were included in the agreement.
Wednesday’s announcement made no mention of nuclear weapons or any payment to Pakistan. “The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” Pakistan said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, for “his keen interest in expanding Saudi investments, trade and business ties”, in a statement on Thursday.
