ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Thursday ratified a newly signed defense pact with Saudi Arabia, state media reported, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized what he called the “centuries-old Islamic bond” between the two nations.
The two countries signed the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement during Sharif’s visit to Riyadh last month, pledging that aggression against one would be treated as an attack on both. The accord was widely viewed as a move to formalize longstanding military cooperation into a binding security commitment aimed at bolstering joint deterrence.
Prior to the cabinet’s ratification, Sharif briefed ministers on his recent trip to the Kingdom, describing it as a milestone in Pakistan-Saudi relations.
“I want to tell you that our visit to Saudi Arabia was historic,” he said in televised remarks at the start of the meeting. “Our historical, Islamic and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia are not 77 years old. They span centuries and have only strengthened since Pakistan’s creation.”
“This agreement is a formal declaration of those informal ties built over the past seven decades,” he added. “It states that any attack on one brotherly country will be considered an attack on the other, and the entire nation has welcomed this development.”
The state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan said cabinet members “paid tribute to the leadership of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia” following the prime minister’s remarks.
Both countries have long enjoyed warm and multifaceted ties, with Saudi Arabia providing billions in financial support to help Islamabad navigate repeated economic crises. With macroeconomic indicators improving after a series of IMF-mandated reforms, Pakistan is now seeking export-led growth and higher foreign direct investment.
A major Saudi business delegation is currently in Pakistan to discuss government-to-government and business-to-business projects.
Islamabad says it has pitched over $28 billion worth of initiatives, with several agreements expected to be signed later this month in Riyadh.
