The Indian government reacted cautiously to the strategic mutual defence pact that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed, saying it’s studying the implications of the development and remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains. The agreement, which states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both, may have been triggered by Israel’s actions in the region but has security ramifications for India. It comes just months after India’s Op Sindoor and amid its efforts to impose a “new normal” on Islamabad that stresses no act of cross-border terrorism will escape a military response from India. The government said it was aware that this development, which formalizes 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,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, taking note of reports about the defence pact. The agreement was signed Wednesday by Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the former’s visit to Riyadh. It comes in the middle of widespread fear and anxiety in the Gulf over Israel’s aggression, not least the strikes in Qatar to eliminate Hamas leaders, and increasing doubts about the role of the US as a reliable security partner. Saudi Arabia had strongly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack. For India, the main concern would be how Pakistan might invoke its new pact with Riyadh in the event of any military escalation with India, a distinct possibility given India’s position that any terrorist attack will be considered an act of war. “This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” said a joint Saudi-Pakistan statement, without elaborating further. For the Saudis, it’s significant that Pakistan is a nuclear-armed country, although Islamabad maintains its nuclear weapon programme is India-centric and strongly denied Iranian claim recently that Pakistan would nuke Israel if it launched a nuclear strike on Iran. As part of its post-Sindoor new normal, India maintains any nuclear blackmailing by Pakistan won’t deter Indian response to terrorist attacks. As the MEA said, Pakistan has had longstanding defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia, training Saudi soldiers since 1960s, stationing troops there during the Iran-Iraq war and the Kingdom acting as its chief financial benefactor. They had institutionalized security and defence cooperation through an agreement in 1982. However, there have been a few hiccups in this partnership too with Pakistan in 2015 refusing to join a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Official sources here said India will wait for more details to emerge before coming to any conclusion about the likely impact of the pact on India, while citing the improvement in India’s own ties with Riyadh in recent times, including in defence and security. A Saudi official was quoted by the CNN as saying that the agreement encompasses all military means, including Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella for Saudi Arabia. However, the official also said that Riyadh’s relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been and “it will continue to grow this relationship and seek to contribute to regional peace whichever way we can.” An Indian official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Riyadh’s decision to sign the pact was driven by its insecurity over Israel’s actions but added it might have a secondary impact in the form of more money in the hands of Pakistan. India will also closely monitor any possible impact domestically of a possible coalescence of Muslim states. India’s commercial engagement with the Gulf is strong and it’s unlikely to be affected, given how PM Narendra Modi has himself invested so much in building up ties with the region. His strong condemnation of the violation of Qatar’s sovereignty by Isarel’s recent strikes serves as an example. As maritime neighbours, India and Saudi Arabia have extensive naval cooperation and last year, they also conducted their first ever India-Saudi joint land force exercise named EX-SADA TANSEEQ-I. The 2 countries have also signed an agreement for defence exports from India to Saudi. Saudi Arabia is also one of India’s top trading partners and among the most significant sources of crude and petroleum products.
