Pakistan says ‘no question’ it will help Saudi Arabia after Iran strikes Gulf nations

Pakistan will come to the aid of Saudi Arabia whenever needed, according to the spokesman for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as Iran retaliates against US-Israeli strikes by hitting Gulf nations.Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan, which shares a border with Iran, signed a defence pact in September last year, elevating their long-standing security partnership, which is being tested by the Middle East crisis.There was “no question we might, we will” come to Saudi Arabia’s aid “no matter what and no matter when”, Mosharraf Zaidi said on Wednesday.“Both countries, even before the defence agreement, have always operated on the principle of being there for the other,” he said.A man cycles past an electronic board reading “Our Armed Forces are our pride and honour. A fortified sky and a protected land, by the will of God.” in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Tuesday. Photo: AFP“The real question is what is Pakistan doing to make sure things don’t come to a point where any of its closest partners are further embroiled in a conflict that could potentially undermine stability and prosperity in the region.”