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Saudi Arabia will come to Pakistan’s aid if the country faces any aggression, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, highlighting the defensive nature of the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed by the two nations earlier this week.
Speaking to a local news channel, Asif likened the pact to NATO’s collective defence principle, emphasising that it is intended for protection, not offensive operations.
Additionally, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also said that the pact is not intended for any aggressive action, but emphasised that the arrangement would be activated if either party faces a threat.
The “mutual defence” pact was inked during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh this week. One important provision of the agreement specifies that an attack on either nation will be treated as an attack on both. The agreement seeks to enhance defence collaboration and “strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.”
Timing Of Saudi-Pak Defence Deal
The agreement was signed amid growing regional unrest. Just days earlier, 26 people were killed in the Pahalgam attack by terrorists linked to The Resistance Front, a proxy of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization. In retaliation, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor,’ targeting nine key militant sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The strikes reportedly destroyed these sites and killed over 100 militants affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Pakistan responded with a counter-attack, further escalating already tense relations.