Asim Munir eyes defence deal with Qatar & Turkiye after Kuwait as Pakistan seeks investments | Gravitas

As the impasse over the US-Iran war continues, Pakistan’s desperate attempt to showcase its relevance also continues.

At a time when his country is in dire need of foreign investments and energy supplies, Pak army chief Asim Munir is trying to create what is perceived as a new military alliance of Muslim-majority nations.

This process gained momentum last year, when Pakistan and Saudi Arabia inked a strategic mutual defence agreement in September.

The two countries pledged that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.

Amid the risk of getting embroiled in the West Asia war, Pakistani army chief Asim Munir deployed thousands of troops, fighter jets, and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia.

While Pakistan has already signed a defence deal with Kuwait, it is also exploring defence pacts with Qatar and Turkiye.

Now, the defence agreement with Kuwait has come under scrutiny.

While both nations signed the deal in 2023 itself, Kuwait ratified it only a day earlier.

The reason for this prolonged delay remains a mystery.

As per reports, the pact establishes a framework for cooperation between Pakistani and Kuwaiti armed forces in areas such as training, intelligence sharing, logistics, and military manufacturing.

A joint military committee will reportedly oversee this pact, which shall remain in place for five years.

This comes at a time when Kuwait’s infrastructure has borne the brunt of Iran’s retaliation during the ongoing West Asia war.

It has been grappling with a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones as well as attacks on US bases and desalination plants.

As per Reuters, Pakistan has been negotiating an expanded defence agreement with Kuwait in exchange for energy cooperation and investment.

Kuwait is reportedly seeking the deployment of Pakistani forces on its soil, akin to the Saudi Arabia pact.

Reuters also claimed that Bahrain is interested in a similar agreement, whereas Jordan has expressed interest in a weapons and training deal with Pakistan.

Now, in January this year, Pakistan’s federal minister for defence production, Raza Hayat Harraj, revealed that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye are exploring a joint defence pact.

But a final consensus is yet to emerge.

In May, Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif went a step ahead. He told local media that Pakistan desires Qatar as well as Turkiye to join its existing defence agreement with Saudi Arabia to ensure a robust defence alliance in West Asia.

He said, “That will potentially minimise dependence on the outside region.”

Even as Pakistan attempts to boost its military prowess to strengthen its position in a potential conflict with India, it is worth noting that Munir’s forces have struggled to tackle even internal turmoil.

Whether it is Balochistan or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, dissatisfaction and calls for freedom are growing.

At present, a Pakistan-driven military alliance seems to be a pipe dream at best.