Islamabad, Pakistan). Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has pledged that Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia with “full force”. He said that protecting Saudi Arabia is as important for Islamabad as protecting its own territory. Asif said this in Geo News’ program ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Ke Saath’ when he was discussing regional diplomatic efforts involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey. This discussion was taking place amid tensions related to Houthis.
According to The News report, the Defense Minister said, “It is our duty to protect Saudi Arabia.” Earlier, Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir met with senior officials of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Tehran. There the four countries agreed to continue talks to strengthen regional cooperation. Khawaja Asif, referring to the attacks on Saudi Arabia, said, “We will defend Saudi Arabia with all our strength.”
Asif said that Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia are not limited to formal agreements only. Islamabad will extend its full support to Riyadh. He said, “Just as the defense of Pakistan is paramount, the defense of Saudi Arabia is equally important for us.” The Defense Minister also mentioned an agreement under which the three countries have agreed to respond to any external attack. “God willing, now that three countries are involved and there is an agreement, we will defend each other’s territory against any external attack,” he said. Asif was answering a question about the meeting held in Tehran.
“There would definitely have been discussions about America,” he said. He said he thinks some progress has been made. He expressed hope that peace can be established through Iran’s efforts and the participation of other countries. He also noted the repeated targeting of Riyadh airport and attempted attacks on Haramain Sharifan (the holy sites of Mecca and Medina), calling such actions “extremely unfortunate.”
He said, “I believe that we have reached an outcome that can meet the conditions for stopping this war.” Asif said he was “not completely sure” about the outcome yet, but he hoped the situation would become clearer after statements from Iran and other countries involved in the talks. He also said that Pakistan’s diplomatic initiatives were yielding “positive results”. He said that even in the case of tension related to America, there is a possibility of progress towards creating a peaceful situation.