ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday clarified that Pakistan’s landmark defense agreement with Saudi Arabia was not against any particular country, stressing that it formalized Islamabad’s longstanding fraternal ties with the Kingdom.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia earlier this month signed a defense pact in Riyadh, according to which an attack on one country will be treated as an attack on both. The pact, sealed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to the Kingdom this month, is meant to enhance joint deterrence and deepen decades of military and security cooperation. Many analysts believe the agreement is also likely to open new avenues of economic cooperation between the two nations.

Speaking to reporters in London, Sharif described Saudi Arabia as a “brotherly country,” saying that Islamabad enjoyed close ties with the Kingdom for decades.

“We have formalized it [through defense pact],” the Pakistani premier said. “And the bottom line of the agreement is that if anyone attacks one of the brother countries, the attack will be seen as against the other. And both will combat it together with consultation. So I think this agreement is not against anyone,” he added.

Sharif said the agreement was done in accordance with the wishes of the people of Saudi Arabia and the Pakistani nation. He noted that every Muslim is willing to lay down their lives for the sake of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the sacred city of Makkah and to protect the Kaaba.

“So, if this agreement has been signed, I believe we have earned both in religion and in this world,” he concluded.

The agreement was signed as the Middle East suffers extremely volatile times, where prolonged conflicts have heightened fears of wider instability, reinforcing the urgency Gulf states place on stronger security and defense partnerships. The Riyadh agreement also signals a push by both governments to formalize long-standing military ties into a binding security commitment.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have for decades maintained close political, military and economic ties. The Kingdom hosts more than 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates — the largest overseas community sending remittances back home — and has repeatedly provided Islamabad with financial support during economic crises. Defense cooperation has included training, arms purchases and joint military exercises.