Distilling it down to a rudimentary question, had the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia military pact been in place during Operation Sindoor’s four-day conflict between India and Pakistan, would the Saudis have been obliged to rush to Pakistan’s rescue? The defence agreement is being likened to an “Islamic NATO” because of the clause that states “any aggression against either country shall be considered an act of aggression against both.” This is an echo of Article 5, the collective defence clause of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Now of course, Operation Sindoor is not an act of aggression by India against Pakistan. In much the same way as the Americans took out then al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, India attacked terror bases inside Pakistan as retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. It is Pakistan’s response — sending more than 1,000 armed drones and missiles, including one that was intercepted not far from Delhi — that escalated it into a military conflict.

But, the question persists. Pakistan would have still attempted to present it as an act of aggression; would the Saudis have been forced to bite?

India’s relationship with Saudi Arabia has only strengthened over the past few years. Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s State visit in April saw a plethora of agreements. Saudi Arabia is unlikely to be........

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