Political situation in Pakistan

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan enter into defense cooperation

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have entered into a new defense pact, the two countries said in a joint statement.

The agreement means, among other things, that an attack on either country will be seen as an attack on both. According to Reuters, the agreement significantly strengthens the countries' previous defense cooperation.

In May this year, Pakistan exchanged drone and missile attacks with its neighboring country India. The situation was described by several media outlets at the time as very close to a full-scale war.

The Financial Times also points out that the new agreement comes shortly after Israel shook the Arab world with an attack on Hamas representatives in Qatar. According to the newspaper, the attack has caused many of the US allies in the region to question the value of the country's defense guarantees.

However, sources with insight deny that it was a hastily cobbled together agreement.

– We have been working on this for over a year, and it is based on talks that have been held for two or three years, a Saudi official told the newspaper.

1.3 million Afghans have been forced to leave Pakistan

Pakistan has expelled 1.3 million Afghans since 2023, and hundreds of thousands more may be in line. This is reported by Arab News, which visited the border between the two countries.

– They forced us out, and we had to sell our sheep, goats and cows at very low prices, says Ghazi, who was forced to leave the country where he has lived most of his life.

According to the Pakistani government, the expulsions are necessary to ensure national security. Critics say the expulsions constitute collective punishment and that many of those expelled risk persecution by Afghanistan's Taliban regime.