Pakistan extends nuclear umbrella to Saudi Arabia, says source close to government

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embrace each other on the day they sign a defence agreement in Saudi Arabia on Sept 17.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after the signing of a mutual defence treaty in Saudi Arabia on Sept 17.

PHOTO: REUTERS

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RIYADH – Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella will cover Saudi Arabia, a source close to the kingdom’s government told AFP on Sept 21, days after the two allies signed a surprise mutual defence treaty.

The source told AFP the deal had been in the works for years and that Saudi Arabia expected Pakistan’s arch-rival India to understand the kingdom’s security needs.

When asked if the deal meant that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons could be used to defend Saudi Arabia, Mr Ali Shihabi, an analyst close to the royal court, told AFP: “Yes, it does.”

He said “nuclear is integral to this deal”, adding that Pakistan remembers that the kingdom effectively financed its nuclear programme and supported Pakistan when it was sanctioned.

“India will understand the security needs of Saudi Arabia. Saudi maintains excellent ties with India,” Mr Shihabi said.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reportedly also told a local broadcaster that the country’s nuclear programme would be made available to Saudi Arabia if needed, following the

signing of the agreement

.

The mutual defence agreement was signed in Riyadh just days after an

Israeli strike targeted Hamas leaders

in neighbouring Qatar, sending shock waves through the Gulf states, which have long depended on the US for their security.

The new pact also comes mere months after Pakistan and India engaged in an

intense four-day conflict in May

that killed more than 70 people on both sides in missile, drone and artillery fire, the worst clashes between the nuclear-armed neighbours since 1999.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a diplomatic visit to Saudi Arabia in April when he cut short his trip following a deadly shooting attack on tourists in India that sparked the conflict.

India and Pakistan have long accused each other of backing militant forces to destabilise each other.

Saudi Arabia is believed to have played a key role in defusing the conflict.

The kingdom has been a key supplier of oil to India, the world’s most populous country, for years.

India’s rapidly developing economy relies heavily on petroleum imports, with Saudi Arabia ranked as its third-largest supplier, according to the Indian Foreign Ministry.

Islamabad has also fostered close links with Riyadh for decades, with more than 2.5 million of its nationals estimated to be living and working in the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has long been a bulwark of economic support for Pakistan’s faltering economy. AFP


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