Islamabad, MINA – Pakistan will use “any means available” to defend Saudi Arabia against the Houthis, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports.
Speaking during a visit to Rome, Asif said Pakistan’s military capabilities would be available to Saudi Arabia under its new mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
“I’m not going into detail, but obviously when I say that we are bound by this arrangement to defend Saudi Arabia, that means whatever means are available at our disposal, they’ll be available to Saudi Arabia also. I think that’s a categoric statement,” he said.
Asif did not explicitly confirm Pakistani participation in any air strikes on Yemen, nor did he say whether Saudi Arabia, which has faced repeated Houthi attacks in recent weeks, had requested assistance.
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His comments came days after the army chiefs of Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia had met in Riyadh to discuss a response to Houthi attacks.
Earlier, Pakistani army spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said his country would do “everything in its power” to defend Saudi Arabia, stressing that Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom is “unconditional” and that Pakistan stands by it “diplomatically and physically.” He also said Pakistan is prepared to go to “any extent” if necessary.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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