Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia "with full force", stressing that the kingdom's defence matters to Islamabad as much as the protection of its own territory. He made the remarks on a private television programme on Monday night.
His comments came after Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir joined senior officials from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Tehran, where the four countries agreed to keep talking to strengthen regional cooperation. "It is incumbent upon us that we defend Saudi Arabia," Asif said. "Just as the defence of Pakistan is paramount, the defence of Saudi Arabia is equally paramount for us."
He said Pakistan's ties with Riyadh went beyond formal agreements. Referring to the Makkah defence pact, he said three countries had made a written commitment to respond together to any threat it covers, and would now defend each other's territory against foreign aggression.
Guarded hope on Tehran talks
Asif said he believed the Tehran initiative was mainly about the situation facing Saudi Arabia, though possible US action was "definitely" discussed too. He called the repeated targeting of Riyadh airport and attempted attacks on the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah "very unfortunate".
The minister said he felt the parties had reached "some sort of conclusion" that could meet the requirements for stopping the war, but remained "slightly guarded" and expected more clarity once Iran and the other participants issued statements. Pakistan's diplomatic initiatives, he added, were "yielding results".