A fitting response to Mecca pact |
The Saudi Arabia-Pakistan-Türkiye defence pact may be premature to call an ‘Islamic NATO’, but it signals a changing security architecture in West Asia. For India, the challenge is not to counter the emerging grouping with another alliance, but to leverage its strategic autonomy, strengthen its maritime capabilities and deepen its partnerships across the region
Pakistan-Saudi military relationship, combined with Türkiye’s defence capabilities, could give Islamabad greater strategic and diplomatic space
The new defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye has opened a new chapter in West Asian geopolitics. It is already being called an “Islamic NATO”, though that description may be premature. The three countries bring different strengths to the table. Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state with a large military, Türkiye is a NATO member with a growing defence industry, and Saudi Arabia is an oil-rich power with enormous financial resources and influence in the Muslim world. Their closer security cooperation is significant because it comes at a time when the old security architecture of the Gulf is changing rapidly. For India, Pakistan’s role in this new arrangement makes the development particularly important.
For decades, the United States provided the main military shield for the Gulf. American bases, naval forces, aircraft and missile-defence systems........