Dawn
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19:01 Sep 18, 2025
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday said the entry of other Arab nations in the mutual defence deal between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was not ruled out, saying the “doors are not closed” for such developments. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia entered into a landmark mutual defence agreement, under which any aggression against one state will be considered an attack on both. The ‘Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement’ was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Wednesday. Talking more about the deal in an interview on Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ and whether more Arab nations could become part of it, Asif said: “I cannot prematurely answer this, but I will definitely say the doors are not closed.” Asif said he had always called for a similar arrangement like Nato since there was greater vulnerability for Pakistan, pointing to the history of the region in the last 40-50 years. “I think it is a fundamental right of the ...