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A year after signing its joint strategic defence pact with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan has send its first-ever military contingent of around 13,000 troops and 10 to 18 jets to the Kingdom, the Middle East nation has said. The contingent has deployed at the King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Sector of Saudi Arabia.
The contingent, which includes fighter jets and support aircraft, landed the base on Saturday, as per Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence. The deployment aimed to enhance joint military coordination, improve operational readiness between the armed forces of the two countries, and support security and stability at regional and international levels, it added.
Though the Kingdom announced about the development recently, Pakistan had sent its aircraft and troops to Saudi Arabia last month only, analysts said, adding that Islamabad has also sent its missile interceptors amid the going conflict between Iran and the United States (US) in the Middle East.
“At least 13,000 Pakistani soldiers and 10 to 18 fighter jets landed in Saudi Arabia. As many as 10,000 soldiers are already present in Saudi Arabia. And this arrangement has been made under the defence pact between the countries,” Mohammad Mehdi, an expert on international affairs, told news agency PTI.
The Saudi-Pakistan defence pact
The pact was signed last year between Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The agreement, which is similar to that of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.
Analysts suggest that Pakistan’s nuclear protection was part of the deal, with a Saudi official telling The Financial Times that the Kingdom will utilise “all defensive and military means deemed necessary depending on the specific threat”.
The defence relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia dates back to the late 1960s when the former’s troops were sent to the latter over concerns regarding the Egypt’s war in Yemen. The ties further increased in 1979 following the Islamic revolution in Iran. With the situation remaining tensed in the Middle East over the Iran war, the focus has once again shifted to the Saudi-Pakistan defence pact.
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