ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Kuwait are holding early-stage talks on an expanded defence pact tied to energy cooperation and investment. Reuters reported this, citing five people familiar with the discussions.
The sources said the scope of any agreement remained under consideration. It could be affected by heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations and Kuwait’s information ministry did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Kuwait is seeking a stronger security commitment that could include Pakistani troops, fighter aircraft, drones and air defence systems, according to a Reuters report. However, a Pakistani security official told the news agency that Islamabad was not considering deploying combat troops at this stage.
Pakistan and Kuwait signed a defence cooperation agreement on June 11, 2023, at Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the time that the accord was intended to expand bilateral military ties.
Read: Bahrain, Kuwait Issue Alerts After US Hits 90 Targets in Iran
The current discussions also include possible Kuwaiti investment and energy-security cooperation, Reuters reported. One proposal involves bonded fuel storage in Pakistan linked to an existing government-to-government diesel supply arrangement.
The negotiations follow Pakistan’s September 2025 Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia. Under that accord, signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aggression against either country is treated as aggression against both.
