Overview

• Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the pact was long in the works and not a direct response to Israeli strikes in Qatar, though the incident may have sped up talks.
• Signed in Riyadh on September 17 by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the agreement pledges that an attack on one will be treated as an attack on both.
• Asif said the deal formalizes decades of cooperation and an existing Pakistani military presence in the kingdom that has at times reached 4,000 to 5,000 troops.
• The minister declined to confirm any nuclear component and rejected claims of selling weapons, while AFP reported unnamed sources asserting references to “non‑conventional” means in the treaty text.
• Analysts say the pact signals deeper Saudi–Pakistani security alignment and strategic hedging, with debate over any nuclear role and questions about how Riyadh would balance ties with India.