Iran US War: Issues related to Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia may now drag it into the Iran war. While on one hand Pakistan is making efforts for a peace agreement between America and Iran, on the other hand, now the defense pact is facing it as a big problem.
Pakistan has deployed fighter jets in Saudi Arabia under the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement. On Saturday, when Pakistan’s fighter jets were landing at King Abdul Aziz airbase, on the same day Pakistan was hosting peace talks between Iran and America.
In this situation the conversation broke down. Now there is news that both sides are once again considering returning to Islamabad before the two-week ceasefire ends on April 21. If the talks remain inconclusive, Pakistan may be forced to accept its defense pact with Riyadh.
This pact has never been made public. Nor has the Parliament of Pakistan reviewed it. Here, Drop Site News reported that under the new pact, Islamabad has been clearly given the responsibility of sending military forces for the defense of Saudi Arabia.
What is included in the pact, and why will Pakistan have to agree with Saudi?
According to Drop Site News, the latest version of this pact was signed in 2025. It compels Pakistan to increase cooperation in operational defense support beyond training, deploying military assets and supporting the Saudi Armed Forces against any threat to its sovereignty or security. Apart from this, Pakistan is forced to send its army to Saudi Arabia after request.
This partnership between the two countries is not new. This had changed a lot in the last few years. Documents have revealed that the first confidential defense agreement was signed between the two countries in the year 1982. This military cooperation agreement was expanded in 2005 to include training and logistics relationships.
Made changes to the direct military defense obligation between 2021 and 2024. Its result came in the form of Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement. It was signed in 2025. According to the drop site, in August 2021, a summary related to the new changes in the agreement was sent to the then PM Imran Khan. The changes contain clauses that essentially oblige Islamabad to join Riyadh’s physical defense upon request.
Why was Imran Khan afraid of this pact?
The report said that this proposal remained on Imran Khan’s desk for a year. At the behest of the Saudi government, the threat that had to be dealt with was foreign or domestic. Drop Site, quoting senior officials, said that Khan was afraid of signing an agreement that could force the Pakistani army to take part in a foreign war.
After Khan was ousted from power, in February 2024, the military-backed caretaker government finally signed the summary of changes. After the new amendment, there was reportedly a heated debate within the army on its language. There is another reason due to which there is pressure on Pakistan. Saudi Arabia has given financial help to Pakistan’s unstable economy. The Kingdom still has more than $5 billion in deposits in the State Bank of Pakistan. Which are taken forward on time.
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