Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan sign mutual defence pact
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Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (left) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sept 17.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DUBAI/ISLAMABAD – Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a formal mutual defence pact on Sept 17, in a move that significantly strengthens a decades-long security partnership
The enhanced defence ties come as Gulf Arab states grow increasingly wary about the reliability of the US as their longstanding security guarantor. Israel’s attack on Qatar last week has heightened those concerns.
“This agreement is a culmination of years of discussions. This is not a response to specific countries or specific events but an institutionalisation of longstanding and deep cooperation between our two countries,” a senior Saudi official told Reuters when asked about its timing.
Israel’s attempt to kill the political leaders of Hamas with air strikes on Doha, while they were discussing a ceasefire proposal that Qatar was helping to mediate, has infuriated Arab countries.
The pact could shift the strategic calculus in a complex region. Allies of Washington, Gulf monarchies have sought to stabilise ties with both Iran and Israel to resolve longstanding security concerns.
But the Gaza war has upended the region, and Gulf state Qatar has been subjected to direct hits twice in a year, once by Iran and once by Israel.
The senior Saudi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, acknowledged the need to balance relations with Pakistan’s rival India, also a nuclear power.
“Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been. We will continue to grow this relationship and seek to contribute to regional peace whichever way we can,” he said.
When asked whether Pakistan would be obliged to provide Saudi Arabia with a nuclear umbrella under the pact, the official said: “This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means.”
Pakistani state TV showed its Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, embracing after signing the agreement. In attendance was Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who is regarded as the country’s most powerful person.
A statement from the Pakistani Prime Minister’s office said: “This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.” REUTERS
