Pak condemns UAE nuclear plant attack amid reports of troops deployed to Saudi Arabia

Pakistan on Monday, 18 May strongly condemned the drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the United Arab Emirates, as a Reuters report revealed that Islamabad has significantly expanded its military deployment in neighbouring Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence pact.

A drone strike on Sunday triggered a fire outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement, Pakistan’s foreign office said Islamabad stood “in full solidarity with the brotherly people and Government of the UAE”.

The ministry said any deliberate targeting of nuclear facilities constituted “a grave violation of international law”, including international humanitarian law, the UN Charter and principles governing nuclear safety under the International Atomic Energy Agency framework.

“Nuclear installations must never be targeted under any circumstances. Such reckless actions carry potentially catastrophic and irreversible consequences for human life, the environment, and regional as well as global peace and security,” the statement said.

Pakistan also urged all parties to exercise restraint and avoid steps that could escalate tensions further in the region. “Dialogue and diplomacy, consistent with the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter, remain the only viable path toward lasting peace, stability, and de-escalation in the region,” it added.

The statement came even as Reuters reported that Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defence system to Saudi Arabia as part of deepening military cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh.

According to the Reuters exclusive, which cited three security officials and two government sources, the deployment represents a substantial combat-capable force intended to support Saudi Arabia’s military in the event of further attacks on the kingdom.

The report said the scale of the deployment had not previously been disclosed publicly and comes at a time when Pakistan is also attempting to position itself as a key mediator in the ongoing Iran conflict.

With agency inputs