Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD :Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that the recent strategic defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had not hidden clauses and it could serve as a model for similar arrangements with other Gulf nations.In an interview with international media, the minister said that, given the current regional dynamics, it is natural that the scope of such agreements might extend to other countries in the Gulf.He emphasized that regional nations may prefer security partnerships with sovereign states like Pakistan, which possess the capacity and willingness to provide protection, rather than depending on distant powers.Responding to a question about the possible inclusion of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Khawaja Asif noted that if any member states express interest, Pakistan would consider expanding the agreement along the lines of the one signed with Saudi Arabia.The defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which has been described as “historic” by leaders from both countries, stipulates that any external aggression against one country will be considered an aggression against both. The agreement formalizes longstanding military and training cooperation between the two nations.Minister Asif clarified that the pact is purely defensive in nature and contains no secret clauses. He reiterated that while Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities are a matter of national defence, there is no intention or inclination toward nuclear conflict.“The last time nuclear weapons were used was in Hiroshima, and fortunately the world has avoided such warfare since. We hope it remains that way,” he said.He also added that decades of instability in the region justify the right of Muslim countries to defend themselves. This agreement, he said, gives formal structure to already existing defence ties.
