Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday hinted that some countries were showing interest in building strategic defence agreements with Pakistan, following the country’s landmark pact with Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia entered into a landmark mutual defence agreement, under which any aggression against one state will be considered an attack on both. The pact was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Wednesday.
The agreement came amid diplomatic upheaval in the Middle East and just months after a deadly India-Pakistan conflict in May.
“It’s premature to say anything, but some other countries want to enter into an agreement of this nature,” Dar told reporters in London, replying to a question about whether other states will join the pact or ink similar deals. “This was not signed overnight; it has taken several months.”
Calling the agreement a “historic pact”, FM Dar said Pakistan has always maintained an informal defence arrangement with Saudi Arabia, which is the same as the agreement signed on Wednesday.
“I believe that both sides are very happy. Let’s be frank: Saudi Arabia has stood with us during difficult times, such as the sanctions. Their support was very relevant and important,” he added. “Similarly, during the current crisis since 2022-2023, when we needed IMF (International Monetary Fund) support, Saudi Arabia stood with us.”
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.”
In contrast, asked a day ago about whether Pakistan’s nuclear assets were also up for use under the agreement, Asif said: “What we have, our capabilities, will absolutely be available under this pact.
PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also welcomed the development.
He said the way the deal was signed in the context of the recent conflict with India was a “very positive” development for both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and congratulated the prime minister for pulling it off.
Separately, India said it hoped Saudi Arabia would keep in mind mutual interests and sensitivities between it and archival Pakistan.
“India and Saudi Arabia have a wide-ranging strategic partnership which has deepened considerably in the last few years,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a weekly news briefing.
“We expect that this strategic partnership will keep in mind mutual interests and sensitivities,” he said.
Saudi Arabia is one of the top exporters of petroleum to India and the two countries agreed this year to boost cooperation in supplies of crude and liquefied petroleum gas.
The two nations were also exploring joint projects in refineries and petrochemicals, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this year.
A day ago, India’s foreign ministry said it was aware that the pact had been under consideration and that it would study the implications for New Delhi.
The neighbours have fought three major wars, along with numerous clashes, including the four-day conflict in May that was their heaviest fighting in decades.
