Islamabad: Pakistan has announced that its nuclear capabilities will be available to Saudi Arabia under a newly signed Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, a move seen as a major shift in Gulf and South Asian security dynamics.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in an interview with a Pakistani news channel, said, “We have armed forces that are ready for war. Our army has recently been tested… What we have, our capabilities, will be perfectly available under this agreement.”
Asif further asserted that Pakistan’s nuclear program has always been managed responsibly. “Ever since Pakistan became a nuclear state, neither the IAEA nor even any Western agency has ever challenged us to be a responsible nuclear power,” he said.
The announcement is expected to draw close scrutiny from global powers, given the potential implications of nuclear cooperation in the volatile Middle East.
