India to ‘study implications’ of Pakistan-Saudi defence pact for ‘national security’

India said it will “study the implications” of the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, while maintaining that it will take effective measures to safeguard national interests and ensure “comprehensive national security in all domains.”

In a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “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.”

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“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,” Jaiswal said.

Jaiswal said that New Delhi acknowledges the formalisation of what it described as a “long-standing arrangement” between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, while noting that it would closely examine its potential ramifications.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, pledging that any aggression against either nation would be treated as an attack on both, in a move that significantly strengthens a decades-long security partnership amid heightened regional tensions.

The agreement was signed during a state visit by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Riyadh, at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

“This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” a joint statement published on Wednesday said, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The defence pact is based on the “historic partnership” between the two countries, the statement said, and on their “shared strategic interests and close defence cooperation.”

During their meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “discussed ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two brotherly countries across various fields,” according to SPA.

“They also exchanged views on regional and international developments, issues of common interest, and the efforts aimed at achieving security and stability,” the statement added.

The agreement follows a recent summit in Doha, where 40 Islamic nations, including Pakistan, held a discussion on the formation of a NATO-like alliance. The talks gained urgency after Israel’s recent strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar. Significantly, Pakistan remains the only Islamic country with nuclear capabilities.