Pakistani Senator: Islamabad-Riyadh defense pact should bolster Islamic unity.
Senator Allama Nasser Abbas Jafari, who also heads the opposition in the Senate of Pakistan, welcomed the defense agreement with Saudi Arabia in a statement today.
He said: “As a firm believer in the unity of Muslims and the need to be fully prepared against enemies, I welcome and support the defense agreement between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This agreement is in line with the teachings of the Holy Quran as it commands us in Surah Anfal (the eighth chapter).
Senator Jafari referred to the translation of verse 60 of Surah Anfal and wrote: “O you who believe, prepare all that you can of strength and cavalry to confront the enemies of Allah and your enemies and also others whom you do not know but Allah knows. And whatever you spend in the way of Allah, it will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged.”
“This agreement is undoubtedly an important step, but before making a final statement, I believe some questions need to be clarified: Does this agreement explicitly commit Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to confront Israeli aggression, or does it pursue other strategic objectives?
What is considered an act of aggression under this pact? Can this initiative reduce the dependence of Muslim countries on US military bases in the region, or will it simply complement existing Western alliances?
How will other Muslim countries view and react to this development? Can this agreement become a broader Islamic alliance capable of reshaping the security architecture of the Middle East and reducing the dominance of Israel and the West?
The chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party added: “These are important considerations that will determine the scope and real future of this cooperation.”
He emphasized: “Until the answers to these questions become clearer, I hope for the wisdom of the leaders of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.” The people of both countries, and indeed the Muslim world, have high expectations of this initiative. This agreement should not disappoint them, especially in addressing the plight of the Palestinians and resisting Israel’s excesses in the region.
Senator Nasser Abbas Jafari concluded by saying: “I pray that this agreement becomes a source of greater unity among Muslims and not a source of division.”
According to IRNA, many leaders of Pakistan’s political and religious parties have welcomed their country’s recent agreement with Saudi Arabia.
With the visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia last Wednesday and his meeting with the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) was signed by the leaders of the two countries.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the commander of the Pakistani army, who accompanied his country’s prime minister on this trip, is said to have played a key role in concluding this new agreement with Riyadh.
The joint statement of the leaders of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the signing of the Joint Strategic Defense Agreement states: This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both countries to strengthen their security and achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to expand aspects of defense cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.
The agreement states that any aggression against either country will be considered an aggression against both countries.