Pakistan has categorically declared that the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed with Saudi Arabia underlines the shared commitment of the two countries with regional peace and security, emphasizing that the PACT is not aimed at threatening any other nation, said Associated Press of Pakitan (app).
In his weekly media session, on Friday, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shafqat Ali Khan, said Friday that Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signed a historical defense agreement during the state visit of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to Riad, to strengthen defense cooperation.
The agreement was signed after the official conversations between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the heir prince and the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, on September 17.
“Both leaders reaffirmed the historical and strategic association that has covered almost eight decades, rooted in Islamic solidarity, shared values and narrow defense cooperation,” said the spokesman.
He added that, according to the agreement, any aggression against any country will be considered as aggression against both, which underlines the depth of mutual trust and commitment to joint deterrence.
According to Ambassador Khan, Prime Minister Sharif said a deep gratitude for the warm welcome of the kingdom and generous hospitality, and transmitted the best wishes for the continuous well -being of the custodian of the two sacred mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz to the Saud, as well as the progress and prosperity of Saudi people. The heir prince, in turn, extended the warm desires for the peace and development of Pakistan.
The spokesman stressed that Prime Minister’s visit also arrived in the context of the emergency Arab-Islamic Summit held in Doha on September 15, convened after Israel’s air attacks in Qatar.
Prime Minister Sharif led the Pakistan delegation at the Summit, accompanied by the Vice Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Information and the head of the Army staff seafood, Syed also Munir.
Ambassador Khan said that the prime minister, in his speech to the summit, strongly condemned Israeli aggression and reaffirmed the “unwavering commitment of Pakistan with the Palestinian cause and solidarity with Qatar and other Muslim states that face illegal hostilities.”
He highlighted Pakistan’s call in the UN Human Rights Council for an urgent debate on Israel’s actions, and emphasized the need for Islamic unity to face “growing Israeli adventurism.”
The joint statement adopted at the Summit, he added, demonstrated “the collective resolution of more than 50 Arab and Islamic states to hold Israel for their repeated violations of international law and human rights.
Apart from the summit, Prime Minister Sharif celebrated bilateral meetings with the EMIR of Qatar, the Saudi heir prince, the king of Jordan and the presidents of Egypt and Iran, who promote the diplomatic dissemination of Pakistan.
The spokesman also reported on parallel diplomatic commitments, including the continuous visit of the president of Pakistan to China, where agreements in agriculture, vocational training and environmental cooperation were signed, as well as the recent telephone exchanges of the attached prime minister with his counterparts in Egypt, Germany and the United States.
Ambassador Khan concluded reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to strengthen his historical associations with Saudi Arabia, China and other allies, while maintaining the support of principles for peace, sovereignty and the rights of oppressed peoples, particularly in Palestine and Kashmir.
