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EYE ON INDIA SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 | The Indian Eye 6
The Pakistan–Saudi Defence Pact:
A New Strategic Headache for India
Riyadh and Islamabad’s “mutual defence” deal raises questions for New Delhi
about shifting alignments in West Asia and South Asia
OUR BUREAU
New Delhi
audi Arabia’s decision to sign a Strategic Mu-
tual Defence Agreement with Pakistan has
Sstirred unease in New Delhi, adding another
layer of complexity to India’s already delicate re-
gional security landscape. The pact, inked during
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to
Riyadh this week, commits both nations to treat
any aggression against one as an attack on both —
a clause reminiscent of Cold War–era alliances.
The agreement, hailed in Riyadh and Islam-
abad as a milestone in their eight-decade-old
partnership, signals a deepening of military coop-
eration between two countries that share cultural,
religious, and historical ties. But for India, which
has carefully cultivated economic, energy, and se-
curity relations with Saudi Arabia in recent years,
the move has immediate strategic implications.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Saudi Crown Prince Muhamad Bin Salman in Riyadh on Thursday (Agency)
CAUTIOUS RESPONSE
are shifting back toward Islamabad, a country Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), where
ew Delhi’s reaction was notably restrained. whose economic survival often depends on Gulf Riyadh holds sway.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
New Delhi’s immediate challenge is to ensure
Nacknowledged that the pact “formalises support. For Pakistan, securing MBS’s backing at that its deepening ties with Saudi Arabia do not
a time of domestic fragility and international isola-
a long-standing arrangement” and promised to tion is a diplomatic win. suffer collateral damage. India remains one of the
“study the implications” for India’s national securi- Opposition parties in India wasted no time largest markets for Saudi oil and a critical part-
ty and regional stability. MEA spokesperson Rand- framing the pact as a failure of the Modi govern- ner in the kingdom’s diversification efforts. Over
hir Jaiswal underlined that “India remains commit- ment’s diplomacy. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, in 2.5 million Indians live and work in Saudi Arabia,
ted to protecting national interests and ensuring a strongly worded statement, called the pact a “grave sending back billions in remittances annually.
comprehensive security in all domains.” setback” and part of a pattern of India being side- Diplomatically, India may need to double
Behind this measured statement, however, lies
a growing concern. Pakistan has long leveraged its lined on the global stage. He pointed to U.S. Pres- down on emphasizing its role as a stable, responsi-
ident Donald Trump’s outreach to Pakistan’s mili-
ble regional power while quietly reminding Riyadh
close ties with Saudi Arabia for financial aid and po- tary leadership and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s of Pakistan’s checkered record on terrorism and
litical legitimacy. A formal defence pact strength- engagement with Islamabad as part of a broader political instability. At the same time, India is likely
ens that leverage at a time when India-Pakistan re- diplomatic drift undermining New Delhi’s influence. to intensify its strategic engagements with the UAE
lations are at a low point, marked by cross-border and other Gulf states to ensure that no single play-
terrorism, the Pahalgam attacks earlier this year, IMPLICATIONS FOR SECURITY er can tilt the balance against its interests.
and India’s consistent refusal to resume bilateral
cricketing or diplomatic engagement. he central question is whether the pact mate- A FRAGILE BALANCE
For India, the timing is as worrying as the con- rially alters India’s security calculus. On the
tent of the agreement. Riyadh has, in recent years, Tsurface, Riyadh’s promise to treat aggression ltimately, the Saudi–Pakistan defence pact
diversified its foreign policy, reaching out to Iran, against Pakistan as aggression against itself could is as much about optics as it is about strat-
normalising ties with Israel, and playing host to ma- embolden Islamabad. But experts argue that Sau- Uegy. For Islamabad, it is a much-needed
jor G20 initiatives. India has been a beneficiary of di Arabia’s commitment is likely to remain more morale boost amid economic turmoil and political
this openness, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi symbolic than operational. Riyadh is unlikely to get uncertainty. For Riyadh, it reinforces its leadership
cultivating a personal rapport with Crown Prince drawn into direct military conflict with India, espe- of the Islamic world. But for India, it complicates
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Saudi Arabia has cially given its economic interdependence with New an already fragile regional balance where diploma-
become a key energy supplier and investment part- Delhi and its broader foreign policy priorities. cy, economics, and security are inextricably linked.
ner for India, particularly under its Vision 2030 di- Still, the symbolism matters. For Pakistan, this As New Delhi studies the pact’s fine print, one
versification plan. pact provides an international guarantee — at least thing is clear: in South Asia and West Asia alike,
But the new pact with Pakistan could tilt the on paper — that strengthens its bargaining posi- the lines between politics and defence are blurring,
balance. By pledging military solidarity, Riyadh tion against India. For India, it raises the risk of and India must be prepared for a more crowded
risks signalling to New Delhi that its strategic bets Pakistan invoking Saudi backing in forums like the and contested strategic environment.
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