Guwahati: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, pledging to support each other in case of external aggression.
The move marks a significant step in formalising decades of security cooperation between the two Islamic nations.
The pact was signed during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Riyadh and announced in a joint statement after his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Reuters reported.
It states that any attack on either country will be considered an attack on both, shifting their long-standing informal security ties into a structured military framework.
A senior Saudi official described the deal as the culmination of “years of discussions,” clarifying that it was not a response to any particular conflict. “This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means,” the official said, without confirming whether Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal was part of the pact.
The signing comes just days after an extraordinary joint session of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which was convened following Israel’s September 9 strike on Doha that killed senior Hamas leaders. However, Saudi officials stressed that the agreement was not directly linked to the incident.
Both leaders also discussed ways to strengthen their strategic partnership across multiple fields and exchanged views on regional and global issues, according to Al Jazeera.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia share a long history of military cooperation dating back to 1967, with Islamabad having trained more than 8,200 Saudi personnel and conducted numerous joint exercises with Riyadh.
Reacting to the development, India said it had been aware of the pact’s discussions. “We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The government was aware that this formalizes a long-standing arrangement between the two countries,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
He added that New Delhi would closely examine the implications for its security. “We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains.”
Despite its enhanced defence alignment with Pakistan, Riyadh emphasised that its growing ties with India would not be affected. “Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been. We will continue to grow this relationship,” a Saudi official said.