Pak defence minister’s U-turn on ‘nukes to guard allies’ claim

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has retracted his earlier statement suggesting that his country’s nuclear capabilities could be extended to Saudi Arabia under a newly signed pact.

Initially, Asif had indicated that Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence might be made available to Riyadh if required, marking the first public acknowledgment of such an arrangement. Following widespread controversy and international scrutiny, he clarified that nuclear weapons were not part of the agreement.

The “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement”, signed on September 17, during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh, stipulates that an attack on either of the nations would be treated as an attack on both, drawing parallels with NATO’s Article 5. While the pact is described as “purely defensive”, Asif’s initial remarks had raised concerns about the potential for nuclear escalation in the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Asif said Saudi Arabia would defend Pakistan if India declared war on its neighbour. “Yes, absolutely. There is no doubt about it,” Pakistan media quoted him as saying. He emphasised that the deal with Saudi Arabia is a defensive arrangement. “If there is aggression, whether against Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, we will jointly defend against it,” he said.

Asif also left open the possibility of other Arab nations joining the framework. “I cannot prematurely answer this, but I will definitely say the doors are not closed,” he added. The minister underlined that he had long advocated a NATO-like security arrangement in the Islamic world. “It is a fundamental right of countries, particularly Muslim nations, to jointly defend their region, countries and people,” he said.

On the Saudi-Pakistan defence pact, India has reacted with guarded concern. The Ministry of External Affairs said that while New Delhi values its strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, it expects Riyadh to pursue ties with full regard to India’s “interests and sensitivities”. The MEA said that it would study the implications of the pact for regional stability and national security.