Now Reading: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey Set to Sign Defence Pact
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey Set to Sign Defence Pact
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Thursday for a three-day Saudi Arabia visit, accompanied by Defence Chief Asim Munir and a senior delegation. Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin…
The Story in Brief
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Thursday for a three-day Saudi Arabia visit, accompanied by Defence Chief Asim Munir and a senior delegation. Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are expected to cover bilateral ties, regional security and international issues. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar are also part of the delegation.
Times Now reports, citing Reuters, that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey are set to sign a joint defence agreement on Friday after nearly a year of negotiations. The pact’s commitments remain unclear. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already have a defence agreement under which an attack on either is treated as an attack on both. Islamabad is among 14 countries supporting a proposed maritime defence coalition for Red Sea shipping.
The Indian Opinion
The easy narrative is that a new Sunni bloc is forming against Iran, while the opposite camp may dismiss the pact as mere symbolism. Both readings run ahead of the facts. The agreement’s obligations have not been made public, and Saudi Arabia’s government and Pakistan’s military had not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. The real test is whether the pact produces deployments, joint operations or a clearly defined response to an attack.
Sources (2): timesnownews.com, timesnownews.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
