Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan inked a mutual defense agreement this week, marking a significant strengthening of their security partnership.
It reflects the “shared commitment” of both nations to bolster security, promote regional peace and jointly deter any aggression, said Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the pact on Wednesday in Riyadh.
Pakistani state television captured the moment when the two leaders embraced, with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, considered the most powerful man in the country, also present.
The deal states that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” according to statements issued by both Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
“This agreement … aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” the statement said.
What do we know about the defense deal?
Few details of the accord have been disclosed, but Pakistan’s defense minister said on Thursday his nation’s nuclear program “will be made available” to Saudi Arabia if needed under the pact.
Speaking to Geo TV in an interview late Thursday night, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif made the comments while answering a question on whether “the deterrence that Pakistan gets from nuclear weapons” will be made available to Saudi Arabia.
“Let me make one point clear about Pakistan’s nuclear capability: that capability was established long ago when we conducted tests. Since then, we have forces trained for the battlefield,” Asif said.
“What we have, and the capabilities we possess, will be made available to [Saudi Arabia] according to this agreement,” he added.
The statement marked the first specific acknowledgment that Islamabad had put the kingdom under its nuclear umbrella.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia ties rooted in faith, strategic interests
Pakistan boasts the largest military in the Islamic world and is also the only Muslim-majority country armed with nuclear weapons.
Saudi Arabia has traditionally maintained close economic, religious, and security relations with Pakistan. Both nations are known US allies in their respective regions.
Their ties are rooted in shared faith, strategic interests and economic interdependence.
Pakistan has long had soldiers deployed in Saudi Arabia.
There are an estimated 1,500–2,000 Pakistani troops currently stationed in the Gulf Arab kingdom, providing operational, technical and training help to the Saudi military.
Saudi Arabia has provided billions of dollars in assistance to shore up cash-strapped Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves.
A pivotal moment in ties
Observers say the latest deal is a pivotal moment in bilateral ties.
“The mutual defense pact is a landmark development. It will take an already strong security relationship to another level. It will further fortify multi-dimensional ties between longstanding strategic partners,” Maleeha Lodhi, an international affairs expert and former Pakistani ambassador to the US and the UN, told DW.
Elizabeth Threlkeld, director of the South Asia program at the Washington-based Stimson Center, echoed this view.
“This is a very significant announcement, even as many details of the deal remain unclear,” she said.
“It cements Pakistan’s status as a key security player in the Middle East while strengthening Pakistan’s ability to rely on Saudi Arabia as a partner for energy security and economic support.”
But Ghaffar Hussain, a London-based security expert, believes the deal carries “more symbolic weight than strategic.”
“For Saudi Arabia, it is good optics to be partnered with a military power with nuclear capabilities. For Pakistan, it offers renewed relevance on the regional stage, which is something they have been struggling to achieve in recent years,” he told DW.
Sending a signal?
The strengthening of bilateral defense ties comes amid growing concerns in the Middle East about the reliability of the United States as a security ally.
Some interpret the timing of the deal to be a signal to Israel, which has conducted a sprawling military offensive in the Middle East since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by Germany, the US, the EU and several others.
Last week, Israel launched an air strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, the capital of Qatar, which borders Saudi Arabia.
“Work on the security agreement obviously started much before the Israeli military strike on Qatar, but the timing of its signing suggests that the attack on a Gulf state accelerated its conclusion as Riyadh seeks to diversify its security options,” Lodhi said.
Threlkeld said a defense deal of this nature “takes months, if not years, to develop and negotiate.”
“So, while the timing of the announcement is notable, coming so soon after the Doha strike, it should not be seen as a direct response,” she stressed.
Hussain said Israel does not pose an immediate or existential threat to Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-Pakistan deal is “more likely a hedge against Iran.” He cited tensions in the region over Iran’s contentious nuclear program for his argument.
“It can be viewed as a shortcut to nuclear capability in the event that Iran does acquire nuclear weapons. It also sends a message to the US that the Saudis are increasingly skeptical of any security guarantees Washington offers,” the security expert noted.
How did India react?
The Saudi deal also comes months after Pakistan fought a brief military conflict with its archrival India in May.
The two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors have fought multiple wars against each other since their independence from British rule in 1947.
Relations between the two sides are currently at a historic low.
New Delhi said on Thursday that it “will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability.”
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Foreign Ministry, added: “The government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains.”
What could be the impact on Pakistani politics?
The agreement is likely to also have implications for Pakistan’s domestic politics.
The country has been directly ruled by the military for more than half of its 78-year history.
The army is still the nation’s most powerful institution and wields substantial influence, even though it claims to have stepped away from politics. Civilian administrations often find themselves operating within the constraints set by military leaders.
“Every external defense agreement enhances the institutional weight of the military,” said Hussain.
“International commitments of this kind allow the military to expand its foreign policy clout, which in turn deepens its intrusion into domestic governance. The result is further erosion of democratic values and diminished civilian authority,” he underscored.
Osama Malik, a legal expert, agrees: “This pact is only going to strengthen the grip of the Pakistani military on domestic affairs,” he told DW, adding that the “opposition could face further persecution” as the military “becomes oversensitive to any criticism and responds very harshly to questioning journalists and human rights activists.”
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
