IN a strategic move, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday signed a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” (SMDA) in Riyadh, pledging that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.
A statement issued by the PM Office says the accord reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieve security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.
The significance that the two brotherly countries attached to the agreement was underlined by the fact that it was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The renewed warmth in relations was also highlighted by a rare goodwill gesture when the plane of the Prime Minister was escorted by fighter jets of the Saudi Air Force as soon as it entered the Saudi airspace, prompting Shehbaz Sharif to express gratitude to the Crown Prince for ‘a gracious aerial welcome’. Pakistani flags were hoisted across Riyadh and similarly Saudi flags fluttered in Islamabad and important buildings were illuminated to mark the new development. Under the terms of the SMDA, any external attack on either country will be considered an attack on both, leading to joint defence. The accord is a timely move to enhance preparedness, integration and cooperation between the defence forces of both nations in the face of current and emerging threats. Saudi officials have been quoted as saying that the signing of the agreement has nothing to do with recent events and that it is part of the longstanding and ongoing cooperation between the two countries but the timing and nature of the cooperative move has sent the right kind of signals to all concerned. The intensified defence collaboration is also reflective of Saudi Arabia’s trust in Pakistan’s defence capabilities and its unwavering goodwill towards the Kingdom. Pakistan demonstrated invincibility of its defence and security during the recent clash with India when the defence forces of the country inflicted a humiliating defeat on an enemy considered much powerful in terms of conventional military strength. In this backdrop, the agreement rightly focuses on joint military training, multilateral exercises and defence industry collaboration. Officials said the pact would not only boost bilateral security but also advance shared goals of promoting peace and strengthening regional stability. This is not for the first time that the two countries will be cooperating closely in the realm of defence and security as in the past as well similar arrangements were made in view of regional and global developments. It is also a reality that Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam, is a peace loving country with no aggressive designs against any other country but it is also a must to ensure dependable defence mechanisms in view of what is happening in the Middle-East where Israel is pursuing policies aimed at ‘Greater Israel’. However, the cooperation in defence must not be confined to training and mutual visits but should also be expanded to cover active defence production based on indigenous research and development. Pakistan has the necessary base to carry out such research and development but funds are a major obstacle in the way of meaningful progress on this front. This aspect can be taken care of with the mutual cooperation of Saudi Arabia and preference should be given to modern technology that can effectively ward off any aggression against any of the two countries. As the entire Gulf region is facing threats, it would be in the fitness of things if similar arrangements are also made between Pakistan and other friendly Gulf States either bilaterally or collectively.
