Why the Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Defence Pact matters
- By Muhammad Alam Brohi -
- Sep 22, 2025
The recent Arab and Islamic Summit has ended with a whimper, suggesting no concrete measures to stop the aggression of Israel against the Muslim countries. There were expectations that the airstrikes on a residential quarter of Qatar to assassinate the Hamas team of negotiators by Israel might have jolted the Arabs out of their traditional cowardice and provoked them to pool their resources to create a joint defence force and adopt other punitive measures such as trade boycotts, suspension of diplomatic ties and all agreements including the Abraham Accords, a ban on commercial overflights, and a concerted campaign for the ouster or suspension of this rogue state from the United Nations Organisation.
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The inconsequential Summit conveyed a message of despair and disappointment to the Muslim world and exposed the paralysis of the Muslim leaders.
However, a ray of hope pierced the dark clouds of gloom overcasting the skies of the Muslim world when, at the heels of the Islamic and Arab Summit which was marked by concerns and inclining moods towards a collective security response to the aggressor which failed to translate into concrete action, Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia inked a Mutual Defence Agreement during the visit of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to Riyadh on Wednesday, 17 September. The Accord, reflecting the shared security concerns of both countries, has symbolic as well as substantive diplomatic and strategic significance. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a history of shared defence concerns and cooperation. However, the present agreement has concretized the informal defense cooperation that existed between Islamabad and Riyadh for decades.
The shifting geopolitical and strategic dynamics in the wake of the military conflicts in many regions, including the Middle East, South Asia and Europe, and the mounting competition between China and the United States of America, have triggered new regional and global realignments. Pakistan is one of the military powers of the Muslim world. It has a strong, well-trained and well-disciplined force of over 0.7 million soldiers backed by equally capable Air Force and Navy. The recent military confrontation with India from 7 to 10 May proved Pakistan’s military capabilities. It was, indeed, a pleasant surprise for our friends and foes to witness Pakistan humbling a bigger country, ten times its size, in a brief air conflict. This conflict has actually confirmed the reliability of Pakistan as a defence and strategic partner.
The Gulf Cooperation Council members met separately at the Summit to discuss the suggestion of a combined defence system. The GCC States, inter se, have a joint defence pact. Pakistan’s proposal for a joint defence against Israel in the preliminary discussions did not fall on unsound ears, aligning well with the concerns of the GCC States over a constant security threat from Israel. The current agreement has confirmed Pakistan’s place within the joint defence pact among the GCC States. It remains to be seen whether it would lead to the cherished goal of a combined Muslim force on the pattern of NATO. It all depends on how the major Muslim countries, including Turkiye and Egypt, react to it.
The agreement, taking a cue from Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, establishes the principle that an armed attack on one partner would be considered an attack on both partners. However, it is unclear whether the agreement would be extendable to other countries. The agreement is also not specific to one country, Israel, or a group of countries. However, the timing of its conclusion leaves no ambiguity about what prompted the two important Muslim countries to formalise their security cooperation at this point. The message is clear. The pageantry added to the visit in Saudi Arabia, with the Saudi jets escorting the Prime Minister’s plane, was reflective of the jubilant mood the Saudi hosts were feeling over the outcome of the discussions held on the sidelines of the Summit.
The Western world has shown its concern over the possible nuclear umbrella for Saudi Arabia. Some casual comments of Saudi officials have fuelled speculations that there must be a secret clause or understanding between the signatory states for providing a nuclear umbrella to Saudi Arabia. However, Pakistan’s stance on this question has been constant and clear, that it developed nuclear capability for self-defence and deterrence. It was never intended for extension to any other country. The world is very sensitive about the use of nuclear weapons. Our Saudi brothers should be cautious in their comments on the agreement. We also should avoid triumphalism.
The signing of the agreement with Pakistan signals the recalibration of Saudi Arabia’s foreign and security policy. The Kingdom would have a two-way policy of close and cooperative relations with China, Russia, Pakistan, Turkiye and other Muslim countries, while maintaining its traditional close political and economic links with the United States of America, with less dependence on it for security cover. The United States leaders, as such, would not be disturbed by the agreement. They would certainly be worried about the extension of nuclear cover to any country. They are likely to warn against any secret clause in the agreement or any understanding for nuclear use.
Pakistan would be cautious about the extent of its military engagement with the Arab countries. It would not like to be seen as the strategic and military leader of the Arab world, notwithstanding the Israeli imperial designs. The Arab countries do not dare to break their diplomatic relations with Israel, let alone sustain a fight against it in a joint response. We may also see that our armed forces are not overstretched in providing security cover to other GCC States. We have a delicate security situation in South Asia owing to the aggressive designs of India.
The Saudi leaders will use their influence to restrain India from escalating strategic tension along the Line of Control. Saudi Arabia plans to invest billions of dollars in India. It supplies one-third of India’s daily oil consumption and hosts over 2 million Indian workers. Peace on the India-Pakistan border would be crucial in effectively implementing this agreement.