Pakistan makes U-turn on defense deal with Saudi Arabia, says nuclear bomb not for sale
Islamabad (The Uttam Hindu): Within 24 hours of signing a historic defense deal with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan has put an end to speculation that it had leased a "nuclear shield" to Saudi Arabia. Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said in Islamabad today that the deal is only for defense cooperation and Pakistan's nuclear weapons are not for any other country.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Khawaja Asif said, "Saudi Arabia will not receive any nuclear shield under this deal. This (nuclear program) is only for Pakistan. We cannot give nuclear weapons to any other country." He stressed that Pakistan developed nuclear weapons to protect its sovereignty and there will be no compromise on this.
In fact, on Thursday (September 18), Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir signed a defense deal with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. The key point of this deal is that an attack on either country will be considered an attack on both. Following this agreement, discussions intensified in the international media that Pakistan had leased a nuclear bomb to Saudi Arabia to end Israel's nuclear monopoly in the Middle East.
According to Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar, this deal was made to protect the two holy mosques (Mecca and Medina). He said, "Israel is constantly targeting Gulf countries. In such a situation, by making this deal, we have eliminated any negative possibility." This deal has deepened the suspense regarding Iran, Saudi Arabia's biggest rival and Pakistan's neighbor. However, Iran has not yet commented on this entire issue.