India To Weigh Impact Of Saudi-Pakistan Mutual Defence Pact, MEA Says
The deal was signed in Riyadh between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
India will study the implications of a mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on its national security and regional stability, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.
"We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Government was aware that this development, which formalises a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration," the MEA said in response to media queries.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Wednesday elevated their long-standing security partnership by signing a mutual defense agreement, stating that "any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both".
The deal was signed in Riyadh between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is making a state visit.
"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," the MEA said.
Tense Regions
The Saudi-Pakistan mutual defence pact comes in the backdrop of elevated tensions in both the Gulf and the subcontinent.
Hostilities erupted between India and Pakistan in May after a terror attack by an Islamabad-backed group killed 26 people in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. The three-day conflict saw the two countries fire missiles and drones at each other.
The pact also comes after an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar's capital city Doha on Sept. 9. An emergency summit of Arab and Islamic country leaders held in Doha condemned Israel's belligerence. The Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council pledged to "activate a joint defence mechanism".
The Gaza war and Israel's provocative actions from Iran to the Gulf have strained relations between the US and key Middle East allies.
Notably, India and Saudi Arabia enjoy close economic and defence relations. India is one of Saudi Arabia's top oil customers, besides being a destination for large investments. The Gulf nation also employs hundreds of thousands of Indian labourers in its construction and services industry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to cut short his April 2025 visit to Saudi Arabia following the Pahalgam terror attack.
