Pakistan, KSA Ink Defense Pact for Joint Response to Aggression

By Khudayar Mohla

2 min read

September 18, 2025

RIYADH – In a significant move with profound legal and strategic implications, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have codified their bilateral defense cooperation into a formal treaty, designated as a “Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement.” The pact was signed in Riyadh on Wednesday by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as both the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) and Radio Pakistan cited the development.

The core legal principle of this agreement is its provision for collective defense. The treaty explicitly states that any act of aggression against either signatory nation will be considered an act of aggression against both. This clause elevates their defense relationship to a new legal standing, binding both countries to a mutual defense obligation under international law.

The agreement’s stated purpose is to enhance joint deterrence against aggression and to promote security and peace in the region and globally. It serves as a legal framework to further strengthen the two nations’ historical partnership, which spans nearly eight decades and is rooted in bonds of brotherhood, Islamic solidarity, and shared strategic interests.

The signing was the highlight of a state visit by Prime Minister Sharif to the Kingdom at the invitation of the Saudi Crown Prince. The two leaders held an official session of talks at Al-Yamamah Palace, where they reviewed their historic relationship and topics of common interest. Both leaders exchanged formal greetings and expressed their mutual wishes for the well-being and prosperity of their respective nations and peoples.