Riyadh: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently signed a strategic mutual defence agreement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, deepening ties between the two countries. The pact commits both nations to treat any aggression against one as an aggression against the other.
Indian analysts have expressed concern. Brahma Chellaney called the move a signal of Saudi ambitions, while former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal warned it could threaten India’s national security. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government said it will study the pact’s implications for regional and global stability.
Some experts, however, see the deal as a formalisation of decades-long cooperation. Saudi Arabia has backed Pakistan militarily and financially since the 1960s, providing weapons, training, and economic support. Analysts note the pact may be more about signalling Saudi independence in regional security than posing a direct threat to India.
Still, the deal shifts regional alignments. By linking Pakistan to Saudi Arabia’s financial and political power, the pact could strengthen Islamabad’s position against India and complicate Delhi’s Gulf strategy. Analysts caution that while India may not face immediate danger, the broader geopolitical implications require careful monitoring.
The pact reflects Saudi Arabia’s intent to diversify security partnerships amid doubts over the US security umbrella and rising regional tensions involving Iran and Israel.
