NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact, calling it a matter of grave concern for India’s security and another failure of what it described as “personality-driven diplomacy.”Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, said, “One month after abruptly halting Operation Sindoor, President Trump hosted Field Marshal Asim Munir for lunch at the White House—the very individual whose inflammatory, provocative, and communally divisive statements provided oxygen to the brutal terrorist attacks in Pahalgam in April 2025. Just days after our Prime Minister’s much-publicised visit to China, President Xi Jinping opened the doors of China’s covert military complex to Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari. Now, Saudi Arabia—where the Prime Minister was present during the Pahalgam terrorist attacks on 22 April 2025—has signed a ‘strategic mutual defence’ agreement with Pakistan. This is undoubtedly a matter of grave concern for India’s national security. The Indian National Congress expresses deep concern over this and considers it yet another setback for our Prime Minister’s highly publicised personality-driven diplomacy.” Earlier today, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan announced the signing of a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh. The pact pledges mutual support in the event of external aggression and marks a transition from decades of informal security cooperation to an institutionalised military framework. “This agreement…aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” a joint statement said.Also read – Defence pact: Pakistan-Saudi Arabia declare joint response to any aggression; India reactsA senior Saudi official told Reuters the deal was the result of “years of discussions” and not linked to any recent conflict, while declining to clarify whether Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal was covered under its scope. The announcement comes shortly after a joint Arab League and OIC session convened in response to Israel’s strike on Doha earlier this month.India, meanwhile, said it had been aware of discussions on the pact. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “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. 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.”Despite the defence alignment with Islamabad, a Saudi official said that Riyadh’s relationship with India remained strong. “Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been. We will continue to grow this relationship,” the official said.
