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In a significant development, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, reaffirming their decades-old strategic partnership. The joint statement, published in The News, marks the strongest-ever security commitment between the two long-time allies.
The agreement considers an attack on either nation as an attack on both, a provision that has been described as unprecedented by former foreign secretary and ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry. He went on to call the defense pact a major breakthrough, stating that the Saudis had turned to their 'most sincere friend'.
Dr Rabia Akhtar, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Lahore, noted that the pact institutionalizes long-standing but often informal military/security ties into a formalized collective defense pact. Huma Baqai, an international relations expert, suggested that the defense pact could reshape regional geopolitics, impacting the power matrix of South Asia and the Middle East.
The timing of the joint statement indicates its importance for the future, coming in the wake of the Doha Summit. Analysts believe the move is most surely driven by the recent attacks on Doha. Arab trust in US-provided security has eroded irreparably, according to former Pakistani ambassador Touqir Hussain.
The defense pact's potential implications on the power dynamics and alliances in South Asia and the Middle East remain to be seen. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed the agreement in Riyadh.
Dr Akhtar added that regarding nuclear deterrence, the pact provides an implicit reassurance, but it does not mark a doctrinal shift, and Pakistan is unlikely to formally extend its nuclear umbrella to Riyadh. Journalist and analyst Syed Talat Hussain described the pact as a formidable combination of resources and military competence that could be game-changing.
The 11-hour war between Pakistan and India in 1999, which established Pakistan and China's supremacy, potentially triggered the defense pact, and could result in a domino effect of more Gulf and Arab states seeking similar alliances. The agreement signals diversification in addition to or away from the US, potentially strengthening ties with China and easing tensions with Iran.
Countries likely to form strengthened coordinated alliances due to the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense pact include Pakistan and Saudi Arabia themselves, with possible indirect impacts on regional powers such as Qatar, Israel, and India, potentially shifting the balance of power in the Middle East by signaling a closer military and nuclear cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, thereby influencing regional security dynamics.
The defense pact is significant as it reiterates Pakistan-Saudi historical security and defense cooperation. Chaudhry added that while Pakistan-Saudi defense cooperation existed before, the new clause treating aggression against one as aggression against both was unprecedented. The pact emphasizes the strong bond between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and their shared commitment to security and defense cooperation.
In conclusion, the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defense pact is set to redraw the security map of the Gulf, potentially influencing regional power dynamics and alliances in South Asia and the Middle East. The pact underscores the importance of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations and their commitment to mutual defense and security cooperation.
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