Shashi Tharoor
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has urged caution over the recently signed defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, warning against overreaction while stressing faith in India’s diplomatic efforts. Speaking to ANI, the former Minister of State for External Affairs described the deal as a continuation of a relationship that has existed for decades.“It is a formalisation of a long-standing arrangement. Pakistan has long tried to project itself as the enforcement arm of the Muslim world. I don’t think we should overreact right now,” Tharoor said. He recalled that at one stage as many as 20,000 Pakistani troops were stationed in Saudi Arabia, underlining that the two nations’ military ties were not new.At the same time, Tharoor admitted “there are some troubling elements, particularly the statement that any aggression on one country will be seen as aggression on the other.” Referring to Riyadh’s silence during Operation Sindoor, he added, “But I’m sure diplomats are not sitting idle, they are talking to the Saudis. We should have some faith in our Govt that on these matters, we have very good relations with the Islamic world, our relations with Gulf countries, in particular, have never been stronger. ”Tharoor also cautioned against viewing international developments solely through India’s prism. “We must not have a self-centred view of the world that we assume that everything Mr Trump does, that affects us, is because of us or his feelings towards us. The same for the Saudis. Let’s take that in stride,” he remarked.The Saudi-Pakistan pact, signed in Riyadh last week during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit, commits both sides to treat any aggression against one as an attack on the other. A joint statement said the agreement sought to “develop aspects of defence cooperation” and strengthen “joint deterrence.”Following the announcement, the ministry of external affairs confirmed it would closely study the agreement’s implications. “We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan… We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
