NEW DELHI: A day after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia formalised a defence alliance, India on Thursday said it will closely examine the potential impact of the agreement on its national security, as well as on broader regional and global stability.
The pact, titled the "Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement," was signed during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official visit to Riyadh, and is seen as a significant upgrade in military ties between the two nations.
It includes a mutual defence clause stating that "any aggression against either of the two countries shall be considered as an aggression against both,” according to a joint statement released by Islamabad and Riyadh.
The External Affairs Ministry (MEA), in a measured yet pointed response, acknowledged the development and said that New Delhi will conduct a thorough assessment of the situation.
“We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. “The government was aware that this development, which formalises a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration.”
He added: “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 new Saudi-Pakistan agreement could recalibrate the regional security dynamics, especially given Saudi Arabia’s rising assertiveness in Middle Eastern and South Asian geopolitics.
While defence cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is not new, this formalisation signals a more robust strategic alignment that India should be taking a serious note of.
It also raises fresh questions for Indian policymakers regarding security calculus in West Asia, where millions of Indian nationals live and work.
As of now, New Delhi has refrained from direct criticism of the pact, instead adopting a watchful stance aimed at safeguarding its own strategic interests in the evolving geopolitical landscape.