Pakistan’s Defense Minister said his country’s nuclear program will “be made available” to Saudi Arabia under the country’s new defense agreement, if necessary, marking the first specific approval that Islamabad has placed the kingdom under its nuclear umbrella, the AP reported.
Defense Minister Kawaja Mohammad Asif’s comments highlight the importance of the agreement that has been in military relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for decades this week.
The move has been viewed by analysts as a signal to Israel and has long been considered the sole owner of nuclear weapons in West Asia. This comes after Israeli attacks targeting Qatar’s Hamas leader killed six people last week, raising new concerns among the Persian Gulf Arab states as Israeli war with Gaza ravaged its territory and placed the region on the edge.
Speaking to Geo TV in an interview late Thursday night, Asif commented, responding to questions about whether “Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence” would become available in Saudi Arabia.
“Let’s clarify one point about Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities. That ability was established long ago when we conducted the tests. Since then, we have the power we trained for the battlefield,” Asif says.
“What we have and the capabilities we have will be made available to (Saudi Arabia) in accordance with this Agreement,” he added.
The two countries signed a defence contract on Wednesday, declaring that an attack on one country would be an attack on both.
In an interview, ASIF criticized Israel in its inability to fully disclose its suspected nuclear weapons programme to the IAEA.
Pakistan’s Shaheen 3 ballistic missiles are believed to be capable of carrying both traditional and nuclear warheads, with a maximum range of 2,750 km (1,700 miles) and can reach Israel.