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More than half a century of defense partnership between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan reached a new peak when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement in Riyadh on Wednesday. The agreement declares that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”

The defense pact mirrors collective security arrangements traditionally associated with regional alliances such as NATO and the Gulf Cooperation Council, designed to deter potential aggressors. According to the joint statement, it “reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defense cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.”

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan share a distinctive and enduring relationship, often demonstrated through exceptional solidarity in critical moments. For Saudi Arabia, security and stability in the Arab Gulf are of paramount significance. Pakistan also cannot overlook this crucial factor, given its unique relations with the Kingdom.

Though concluded soon after the Arab-Islamic emergency summit in Doha, the agreement marks the outcome of years of sustained dialogue between the two allied states. It is not a reaction to any particular country or event, but the institutionalization of a deep and resilient partnership between Riyadh and Islamabad.

The joint statement also refers to this partnership, highlighting “shared strategic interests and close defense cooperation” as the foundation of the agreement, whose real value, in my opinion, lies in the historic bond that exists between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. It takes their time-tested military-to-military ties to a whole new level.

The agreement represents the logical conclusion of decades of steadfast and sincere efforts by successive leaders and governments, with unwavering support from both the Saudi and Pakistani people. It should therefore be understood not merely in the context of current regional tensions but through the broader lens of shared history.

This extraordinary camaraderie was visibly symbolized on Wednesday, when Sharif’s aircraft entered Saudi airspace escorted by Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s — a gesture of honor previously accorded only to leaders such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The grandeur of the moment was further underscored by Pakistani........

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