The historic defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has created a stir in India. Renowned geopolitical analyst and president of the Eurasia Group Ian Bremer says that ‘there is no doubt that the agreement will change India’s life’.
Ian Bremer, in an interview with an Indian news agency, said that after this defense agreement, India will have to re-arrange all its security calculations because Pakistan is no longer alone, Saudi Arabia will also stand in its defense.
The aforementioned security agreement was signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh after Israel’s attack on the Qatari capital Doha, in which it has been clarified that if one country is attacked, it will be considered an attack on both.
Indian media claims that this agreement also recognizes Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities as part of the Saudi defense fence, meaning that in any emergency, Saudi Arabia will be able to use Pakistan’s nuclear power to protect its security.
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal wrote in a post on X that ‘this agreement means that Saudi Arabia’s funds will now be used to strengthen Pakistan’s military. Apparently, Pakistan is openly talking about providing nuclear security to Arab countries against Israel.’
Although many details of this agreement have not yet been revealed, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif says that there are no sub- or secret conditions of this agreement.
In an interview given to Al Jazeera TV, Khawaja Asif was asked whether Saudi Arabia will have access to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons under this agreement?
To which Khawaja Asif said, ‘This agreement is for defense and is not intended to be offensive at all… Pakistan’s defense capabilities will also be helpful to Saudi Arabia in any possible situation under this agreement, but I want to make it clear that the last time nuclear weapons were used was on Hiroshima and fortunately the world is now safe from nuclear wars and I hope that nothing like this will happen in the future.’
Ian Bremer added that ‘if India continues to face border tensions with Pakistan, the chances of any military clash may increase. Now if this happens and Saudi Arabia is ready to defend Pakistan, then India’s calculations will completely change.’
However, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan has clarified that the agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is purely defensive in nature and is not against any third country. The agreement will play an important role in peace, security and stability in the region. The statements issued by both countries are clear and any misattribution or speculation on hypothetical scenarios is baseless.
Ian Bremer added that this agreement is a new chapter of trust for Pakistan. Pakistan’s main ally is China, which provides it with military aid and intelligence cooperation, but at the same time, Pakistan has also developed relations in new directions.
According to Bremer, ‘Saudi Arabia’s financial support for Pakistan’s nuclear program is no secret, everyone has known this for years. Saudi Arabia has always considered Pakistan’s nuclear program as its emergency nuclear umbrella. Now for the first time, this idea has been formalized into a formal agreement.
He said that Saudi Arabia is taking this decision so that it does not depend only on the US for its security but also expands the circle of its allies. This step will directly strengthen Pakistan and pose a new challenge to India.
Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US, wrote on X that “it is quite possible that Pakistan can now use Saudi Arabia’s money to buy American weapons, which it needs.”
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