Pakistan calls Saudi pact defensive arrangement, likens it to Nato

ISLAMABAD: Talking about its pact with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif told Geo TV: "We have not named any country whose attack would automatically trigger a retaliatory response. Neither has Saudi Arabia named any country. This is an umbrella arrangement offered to one another by both sides: if there is aggression against either party - from any side - it will be jointly defended, and the aggression will be met with a response." He added that it was not an "aggressive pact" but a defensive arrangement, similar to that of Nato.

Asif said that Pakistan had always offered its nuclear facilities for inspection and never committed any violation.


Asked whether US was taken into confidence on the matter, Asif said he felt there was "no ground or justification" for any other third party to be involved in the development. "This agreement will not be a hegemonic arrangement... We don't have any plans to conquer territory or attack anyone. But our fundamental right can't be denied to us and we exercised that yesterday (Wednesday)," Asif said.

Asif also said the protection of the holy Islamic sites in Saudi Arabia was also a matter of "sacred duty" for Pakistan.

To a question about terrorist attacks on security forces, Asif reiterated Pakistani claims that Afghan soil was being used to stage acts of terrorism in the country. "We were swept into two wars in Afghanistan. The US, on both occasions, left the region and we are still dealing with the consequences, be it the Taliban, the TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), the BLA (Balochistan Liberation Army), or anyone else," Asif said. When asked if Arab states would act in response to Afghan aggression, the Pakistan defence minister said he would not be against it.

International Atomic Energy Agency  did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the Pakistan defence minister's remarks. Asif criticised Israel in the interview for not fully disclosing its suspected nuclear weapons programme to IAEA. Israel, too, has not commented on the two nations' mutual defence pact. Pakistani Brig Gen. Feroz Hassan Khan (retd) has said Saudi Arabia provided "generous financial support to Pakistan that enabled the nuclear programme to continue, especially when the country was under sanctions". Agencies