Abdul Rahman
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a “strategic mutual defense agreement” in Riyadh on Wednesday, September 17. Analysts speculate that the agreement could unleash fundamental shifts in regional politics.
Among other things, the deal, signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the latter’s visit to Saudi Arabia, provides for joint responses in the case of an attack against one of the signatories.
The joint response provision was confirmed by a statement issued by the prime minister’s office in Islamabad on the same. The statement says that the agreement “aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” Dawn reported.
The statement also says that the agreement “reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and peace in the region and the world.”
The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has deep roots and the agreement further consolidates the decades-long strategic partnership between the two countries.
Though Saudi Arabia denied that the deal is a response to recent incidents, claiming it is the culmination of a “longstanding and deep cooperation between the two countries”, many speculate that the content and the timing of the agreement reflects the growing unease among the countries of the Persian Gulf region about their existing security arrangements.
While the US has been the traditional defense partner of both countries, counting on a network of over 800 military bases across the world, recent moves to favor Israel in complete violation of international law and regional agreements, has made many nervous.
US Fails to Curb Israeli Expansionism
Israel’s growing expansionism, along with its vision of a ”Greater Israel”, has raised concerns among the countries in the region which have traditionally relied on the US for their defense. They have seen how the US not only shields Israel from the repercussions of its aggressive acts but also provides material support for those aggressions.
Apart from continuing the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza for over two years now, killing likely over the official death toll of 70,000 people, Israel has also carried out illegal assassinations in Iran and Lebanon; military aggressions against Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon; it invaded Syria, launched missiles in Yemen and drones in Tunisia. None of these actions would have been possible without the explicit support of the US.
Israel launched attacks in a civilian area in Doha on September 9, in which at least six people, Palestinian and Qatari officials, were killed. This incident has provoked unprecedented anger among the countries in the region.
Gradual Regional Realignment
Earlier this week, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, of which both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are members, had a joint emergency summit in Doha with the Arab League. The summit demanded accountability from Israel for repeatedly violating international laws and threatening regional peace and stability.
Saudi Arabia, which is the biggest oil producing country in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), defied repeated US demands to cut oil production in 2022-23. It went ahead and resolved its long-standing issues with Iran and signed a normalization deal in March 2023 under Chinese mediation.
Saudi Arabia has also resisted US demands for normalization of relations with Israel.
Apart from the Gulf, the Saudi-Pakistani deal is also expected to impact the equation in the South Asian region.
Pakistan, which saw long-standing tensions with neighboring India erupt into military conflict, has also been looking to consolidate its regional and global standing. Saudi Arabia, which has influence in the region and greater economic resources, may help Pakistan to gain new allies and economic stability through increased investments.
Reacting to the possibilities arising from the agreement, Ammar Ali Jan, leader of the left-wing Haqooq-e-Khalq Party (HKP) welcomed it as a “step in the right direction.”
Noting how more and more countries in the broader region have been destabilized by repeated imperialist interventions since the so-called “war on terror” days, Ammar claimed that “security cooperation is a necessity if our countries are to maintain stability in these hostile times.”
Courtesy: Peoples Dispatch
Among other things, the deal, signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the latter’s visit to Saudi Arabia, provides for joint responses in the case of an attack against one of the signatories.
The joint response provision was confirmed by a statement issued by the prime minister’s office in Islamabad on the same. The statement says that the agreement “aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” Dawn reported.
The statement also says that the agreement “reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and peace in the region and the world.”
The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has deep roots and the agreement further consolidates the decades-long strategic partnership between the two countries.
Though Saudi Arabia denied that the deal is a response to recent incidents, claiming it is the culmination of a “longstanding and deep cooperation between the two countries”, many speculate that the content and the timing of the agreement reflects the growing unease among the countries of the Persian Gulf region about their existing security arrangements.
While the US has been the traditional defense partner of both countries, counting on a network of over 800 military bases across the world, recent moves to favor Israel in complete violation of international law and regional agreements, has made many nervous.
US Fails to Curb Israeli Expansionism
Israel’s growing expansionism, along with its vision of a ”Greater Israel”, has raised concerns among the countries in the region which have traditionally relied on the US for their defense. They have seen how the US not only shields Israel from the repercussions of its aggressive acts but also provides material support for those aggressions.
Apart from continuing the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza for over two years now, killing likely over the official death toll of 70,000 people, Israel has also carried out illegal assassinations in Iran and Lebanon; military aggressions against Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon; it invaded Syria, launched missiles in Yemen and drones in Tunisia. None of these actions would have been possible without the explicit support of the US.
Israel launched attacks in a civilian area in Doha on September 9, in which at least six people, Palestinian and Qatari officials, were killed. This incident has provoked unprecedented anger among the countries in the region.
Gradual Regional Realignment
Earlier this week, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, of which both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are members, had a joint emergency summit in Doha with the Arab League. The summit demanded accountability from Israel for repeatedly violating international laws and threatening regional peace and stability.
Saudi Arabia, which is the biggest oil producing country in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), defied repeated US demands to cut oil production in 2022-23. It went ahead and resolved its long-standing issues with Iran and signed a normalization deal in March 2023 under Chinese mediation.
Saudi Arabia has also resisted US demands for normalization of relations with Israel.
Apart from the Gulf, the Saudi-Pakistani deal is also expected to impact the equation in the South Asian region.
Pakistan, which saw long-standing tensions with neighboring India erupt into military conflict, has also been looking to consolidate its regional and global standing. Saudi Arabia, which has influence in the region and greater economic resources, may help Pakistan to gain new allies and economic stability through increased investments.
Reacting to the possibilities arising from the agreement, Ammar Ali Jan, leader of the left-wing Haqooq-e-Khalq Party (HKP) welcomed it as a “step in the right direction.”
Noting how more and more countries in the broader region have been destabilized by repeated imperialist interventions since the so-called “war on terror” days, Ammar claimed that “security cooperation is a necessity if our countries are to maintain stability in these hostile times.”
Courtesy: Peoples Dispatch
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