Ishaq Dar revealed that several Arab and non-Arab states have expressed interest in joining the Saudi-Pakistan defence pact.
He suggested the agreement could evolve into a “new NATO” or “Eastern NATO,” with Pakistan positioned to lead the Islamic world.
The pact, signed on September 18, commits both countries to treat aggression against one as an attack on the other.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar claimed that many nations have expressed interest in signing a security pact with Islamabad. He added that if additional countries join the Saudi-Pakistan mutual defence agreement, "this will become a NATO-like alliance."
Speaking to the parliament about President Donald Trump's latest peace plan for Gaza, Dar also discussed the "Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement" that was formally inked with Saudi Arabia on September 18.
According to PTI, he claimed that several Islamic states, both Arab and non-Arab, had expressed interest in joining the defence pact that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had reached. "A lot of states approached Pakistan during the UN General Assembly, and many other countries have expressed interest in signing a defence pact with Pakistan," he said.
He suggested that if more countries join, then "this will become a NATO-like alliance." The deputy prime minister further said that the pact could expand to include other countries, potentially transforming it into a "new NATO or Eastern NATO".
He expressed confidence that Pakistan will one day lead the Islamic world. “By God’s Will, Pakistan will lead 57 Islamic nations,” he said.
Although Pakistan is a nuclear and missile power, he underlined that it must now work towards becoming an economic power as well, which is only possible with teamwork.
Speaking on the agreement reached with the Saudi government, Dar stated that the defence accord had been in the works for a very long time and that Pakistan and the Gulf Kingdom have a long and close relationship.
"This is an extremely important agreement; it was not made blindly or hastily," he said.
PTI reported that the finer details about the pact have not been shared, but the joint statement issued after the signing ceremony stated that "any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both." Recalling the four-day conflict with India in May, Dar said that under the defence pact, such strikes on Pakistan would have been considered as an attack on Saudi Arabia.
The pack was signed days after Israel attacked Qatar, creating panic among the Arab nations of a similar attack.
