Saudi pact formalises decades-long ties: Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan's recently signed historic mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia is not a reaction to the Israeli attack on Qatar but the result of years of discussion and cooperation between the two nations.

In an interview with British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan, Asif said that Pakistan's defence partnership with Saudi Arabia spans over five to six decades. "Our forces have been deployed in Saudi Arabia before, maybe over 4,000 to 5,000 at one point, and they are still present on Saudi soil," he noted.

He explained that the latest agreement was intended to give a formal structure to the partnership rather than create a new one. "This agreement has only formalised the defence relations we have had for a long time. Earlier it was based on some transactions before," he said.

Turning to nuclear policy, the defence minister reaffirmed Pakistan's stance on restraint. "After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, no nuclear power is in favour of using these weapons," he stated, adding that Pakistan remains committed to global norms of peace.

Commenting on domestic politics, Asif said Pakistan's democracy has yet to mature fully but is moving forward. "Our democracy is not the best, but we are on this path. I myself have been in jail for six months without any charges," he remarked.