Saudi Arabia’s new defense pact with Pakistan has sparked serious concerns in India, as it could strengthen Pakistan’s military and jihadi groups in their threats against New Delhi. Experts warn that this alliance might worsen the long-standing India-Pakistan conflict, especially given Pakistan’s territorial claims on Indian land and its army chief’s outspoken anti-India stance.
Kanwal Sibal, a former Indian foreign secretary and respected diplomat, highlighted these risks in a recent piece for India Narrative. “This strategic defense pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan carries big implications for India and the region,” Sibal wrote. India quickly voiced its worries, stressing how the deal could harm national security and shake regional stability.
What worries India most is a key clause in the pact: Any attack on one partner counts as an attack on both. From Pakistan’s perspective, Sibal noted, the main “aggressor” is India. He pointed to the ongoing Operation Sindoor, a military response to recent tensions, and asked if Saudi Arabia would see an Indian counterstrike to Pakistani terrorism as a threat to itself.
Saudi Arabia likely won’t jump into a direct fight, Sibal said. Instead, the real impact could come through financial support. Pakistan’s economy is struggling, and it suffered heavy damage to its air bases in the latest clashes with India. Rebuilding air defenses will cost a fortune—money Pakistan doesn’t have. Saudi cash could help Pakistan beef up its forces, making it a stronger ally for Riyadh down the line.
Saudi leaders grasp the roots of the India-Pakistan rivalry, but they can’t force Pakistan to shut down its jihadi networks or drop terrorism as a tool against India. As the pact takes shape, all eyes are on how it might fuel more instability in South Asia.
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