Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, recently announced that the strategic mutual defense pact signed with Saudi Arabia has officially ‘formalized’ a relationship that was previously described as ‘a bit transactional’.
Last week, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia inked the ‘Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement’ in Riyadh. This agreement commits both nations to consider any attack on one as an act of aggression against both. Interestingly, Asif had previously hinted at the possibility of Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities being shared with Riyadh under this new framework. However, he later clarified in an interview that nuclear weapons were ‘not on the radar’ for this specific accord.
Addressing journalist Mehdi Hasan during an interview with Zeteo, as reported by Dawn newspaper, Mr. Asif stated, “It is not a reaction to what happened in Qatar because this was being negotiated for quite some time. So, it’s not a reaction; perhaps it must have sped it up a bit, but that is all. It was already in the offing.”
Mr. Hasan pressed further, asking if the pact was a direct response to the Israeli bombing of Qatar. He also highlighted Pakistan’s unique position as the sole nuclear power in the Muslim world and Saudi Arabia’s expressed interest in developing similar capabilities. Hasan reminded the minister that he had previously ruled out nuclear weapons as part of the pact.
“Is Saudi Arabia protected by Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella per this agreement or not?” Hasan inquired. Mr. Asif responded, “We have had a very long defence relationship with Saudi Arabia, spanning five or six decades. We had a military presence over there, perhaps more than four or five thousand at the peak, and we still have a military presence over there. I think we have just formalised that relationship, which was previously a bit transactional.”
Undeterred, Mr. Hasan continued to probe, “Formalised with or without the nukes?” The Minister, however, chose not to delve into specifics, stating, “I will refrain from going into the details, but it’s a defence pact and defence pacts are normally not discussed publicly.”
Hasan then referenced journalist Bob Woodward’s 2024 book ‘War,’ where Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was quoted telling a U.S. senator he could ‘just buy’ a bomb from Pakistan. Mr. Asif dismissed this, saying, “I think that is just sensationalised […] No, I don’t believe that quote.”
“So you are not in the business of selling nuclear weapons to Saudi Arabia?” Hasan asked directly. “No. We are very responsible people,” Mr. Asif firmly replied.
The joint statement issued after the defense agreement highlighted that the pact builds upon an almost eight-decade-long historic partnership between the two nations. It underscores bonds of brotherhood, Islamic solidarity, shared strategic interests, and close defense cooperation.
This new agreement follows a bilateral security cooperation agreement from 1982, which facilitated Pakistani military training, advisory support, and deployments on Saudi Arabian soil.