Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” on Wednesday, which has become a major talking point in the media. A provision of the deal has made it similar to the NATO defence pact. The agreement states that aggression against either nation would be considered an attack on both.
Pakistani experts view the deal as a major boost and have dubbed it a victory for the nation. Experts are also linking the agreement to the recent context of tensions between India and Pakistan, According to NBT.
Pakistan’s Geo News journalist Hamid Mir termed the pact a strategic win for Pakistan. He said that, keeping the Middle East and South Asian nations in mind, Pakistan has emerged as a new power in the region. According to him, the deal would protect Pakistan from any aggression by India or Israel.
Another defence analyst, Sohail Mohammed Ali, termed the defence pact as historic. He said the deal is an important milestone in the history of Pakistan. He also highlighted the provision stating that aggression against either nation would be considered an attack on both countries.
Another Pakistani journalist says that Saudi Arabia would stand beside Pakistan if the nation faces any aggression from India in the future.
The “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” was inked during a state visit by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday to Riyadh at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
According to a joint statement issued following the visit, “building on the historic partnership extending for nearly eight decades between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and based on the bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity, as well as shared strategic interests and close defence cooperation between the two countries, HRH the Crown Prince and the Pakistani prime minister signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement.”
