 |
| Saudi and Pakistani leaders sign historic defense agreement. |
Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a formal mutual defense pact on Wednesday that declares any attack on either country will be considered an attack on both. The agreement significantly strengthens a decades-long security partnership between the two Muslim-majority nations .
The pact was signed in Riyadh by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, also attended the ceremony. The army chief is widely regarded as Pakistan's most powerful person .
A joint statement published by the Saudi Press Agency said the agreement reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and achieve peace in the region and the world. The pact aims to develop defense cooperation between the countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression .
The agreement comes at a critical time for regional security. Israel's attack on Qatar on September 9 shocked Arab countries and raised concerns about Gulf security. The strike targeted members of Hamas's political leadership as they gathered to discuss a ceasefire proposal for Gaza .
Gulf Arab states have grown increasingly wary about the reliability of the United States as their longtime security guarantor. This is especially true as Washington remains Israel's closest ally despite Israeli attacks on several regional countries .
A senior Saudi official told Reuters the agreement was the result of years of discussions. The official said the timing was not a response to specific countries or events but rather an institutionalization of long-standing cooperation between the two nations .
When asked whether Pakistan would now be obliged to provide Saudi Arabia with a nuclear umbrella, the same official described the pact as a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means .
Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim-majority nation. It also fields the Islamic world's largest army. Pakistan has regularly said its nuclear weapons are focused on facing down neighboring foe India .
The defense agreement could shift the strategic calculus in a complex region. Gulf monarchies, which are allies of Washington, had sought to stabilize ties with both Iran and Israel to resolve security concerns before the Gaza war upended the region .
Qatar, a Gulf state and strong US partner, has been subjected to direct hits twice within a year—once by Iran and once by Israel. Qatar is home to al-Udeid, the largest US military base in the region .
The pact with Pakistan represents the first major defense decision by a Gulf Arab country since the Qatar attack. It signals Riyadh's bid to bolster defensive ties with nuclear-armed Pakistan after being rebuffed by Washington on security guarantees .
Saudi Arabia had sought US assistance to advance a civilian nuclear power program. This was part of a proposed diplomatic recognition deal with Israel before the 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the war in Gaza. That deal now seems further away than ever .
The Saudi-Pakistan agreement has deep implications for the region. Pakistan has close military and economic ties with China. But the country also has a complicated relationship with the United States .
The US and Pakistan cooperated extensively on security during the American war in Afghanistan. But the relationship waned after the US withdrawal and as Beijing's influence grew .
Saudi Arabia enjoys good relations with Pakistan's historic rival, India. This creates a delicate balancing act for Riyadh as it strengthens ties with both South Asian nations .
India said on Thursday it would carefully examine the pact's implications for national security and regional stability. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated the government was aware that this development had been under consideration .
India's relationship with Saudi Arabia has strengthened over the past two decades. The countries have deepened ties across trade, energy, and defense. Bilateral trade reached nearly $42 billion in the most recent fiscal year .
Saudi Arabia is particularly significant for India's energy security. The kingdom accounted for 18 percent of India's energy imports in a recent fiscal year. Saudi Arabia has also committed to invest $100 billion in India .
The senior Saudi official acknowledged the need to balance relations with both Pakistan and India. The official noted that Saudi Arabia's relationship with India is more robust than ever and will continue to grow .
Pakistan and India engaged in a deadly air war in May that almost brought them to the brink of nuclear conflict. The four-day skirmish included jet fighter dogfights, drone strikes, and artillery exchanges along their shared border .
The Saudi-Pakistan defense pact could introduce complexity to future India-Pakistan dynamics. At a moment when Pakistan faces the threat of Indian military action, it has secured a strong collective defense agreement from Saudi Arabia .
Analysts have called the agreement a watershed moment for both countries. Pakistan previously maintained mutual defense treaties with the United States during the Cold War, but they crumbled by the 1970s. Even with China, Pakistan lacks a formal mutual defense pact .
The pact could serve as a template for Pakistan to engage in similar bilateral defense cooperation with other Gulf partners such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar .
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have enjoyed close military ties for decades. Their relationship stretches back nearly eight decades to when Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to recognize Pakistan after its independence in 1947 .
In 1951, the two nations signed a Treaty of Friendship. This laid the foundation for decades of strategic, political, military, and economic cooperation .
Over the years, Pakistani armed forces have deployed to the kingdom several times. Pakistan has trained more than 8,200 Saudi armed forces personnel since 1967. The two sides have also held several joint military exercises .
Currently, an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 Pakistani troops are deployed in Saudi Arabia. They provide operational, technical, and training help to the Saudi military, including assistance to the air and land forces .
The economic relationship between the countries is also significant. Saudi Arabia has loaned Pakistan $3 billion, a deal extended in December, to shore up its foreign exchange reserves .
Former US diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad expressed concern over the deal. He said it comes in dangerous times and noted Pakistan has nuclear weapons and delivery systems that can hit targets across the Middle East, including Israel .
However, some analysts caution that the agreement might not include nuclear assurances. There is nothing in the pact that indicates a formation of a nuclear umbrella or any extended deterrence .
Security analyst Syed Muhammad Ali said Pakistan is confident that its conventional military capability is adequate to improve Saudi security without resorting to nuclear options .
The agreement shows that Saudi Arabia still sees value in its relationship with Pakistan. It demonstrates that Islamabad is not isolated in its extended neighborhood despite Indian attempts to get countries to distance themselves from Pakistan .
For Saudi Arabia, the pact represents a hedge against uncertainty and a signal of independence. It gives the kingdom a potential deterrent without formally breaching non-proliferation norms .
The pact brings Pakistan into the Arab world and its politics like never before. It positions Pakistan as a direct deterrent to Israel and as a net security provider in the Arabian Peninsula .
The agreement will trigger new alliance politics around what it does or does not cover. Questions remain about deterrence, resource commitment, and operational details .
Both countries will need to manage their exposure to the other's tensions with countries they have cautiously managed relations with. Pakistan risks entanglement in Saudi Arabia's regional rivalries, particularly with Iran. Saudi Arabia has committed itself to Pakistan's disputes with India and potentially with Taliban-led Afghanistan .
The defense pact represents the most significant upgrade in Pakistan-Saudi defense relations in decades. It comes as Gulf states look to bolster their security while confidence in the US security umbrella weakens .
As regional countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey emerge as natural partners for Gulf security, the Middle East's geopolitical chessboard appears to be in flux .
The Saudi-Pakistan mutual defense agreement marks a new chapter in regional security dynamics. It reflects changing alliances and security calculations in a region experiencing significant turbulence .