New Delhi — India has responded with measured caution to a newly inked strategic defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, a deal that pledges both nations will treat any act of aggression toward one as aggression toward both. The agreement was sealed on September 17, 2025, when Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Riyadh and signed the pact with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), speaking through spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on September 18, has said New Delhi will closely assess the implications of this pact for its national security as well as for regional and global stability. It acknowledged that while the agreement formalises a relationship that has long existed between the two countries, the precise details and scope will be studied.
The joint statement from Islamabad and Riyadh emphasises that the defence deal builds on “the historic partnership extending for nearly eight decades,” grounded in bonds of brotherhood, strategic interests, Islamic solidarity, and shared security cooperation.
Analysts note that while the pact’s language echoes the mutual defence treaties seen elsewhere, its immediate impact on India may be limited. Some observers see it as largely symbolic, aimed more at projecting deterrence toward perceived threats in the Middle East—especially amid recent Israeli operations—rather than preparing for direct confrontation with New Delhi.
Saudi officials, meanwhile, have stressed that relations with India remain “more robust than ever,” underscoring that the new pact does not represent a shift against New Delhi.
Still, the timing of the agreement—just months after intense Indo-Pakistani tensions and India’s “Operation Sindoor”—has heightened awareness in New Delhi.
As India watches closely, the deal may force recalibrations in its diplomatic posture, force readiness, and regional collaborations. New Delhi, for now, signals steadiness. Its primary concern: preserve national interests, ensure security, and anticipate what comes next.
