Tahir Mustafa
Engulfed in endless crises—political, economic and social, many of them the direct result of elite follies—the people of Pakistan greet every bit of good news, however insignificant, with jubilation. Take the case of the September 17 announcement that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have entered into a mutual defence agreement. Words like ‘historic’, ‘strategic’ and ‘landmark’ have been used to describe the accord.
The Islamabad Capital Development Authority even decked out prominent buildings with green lights to ‘celebrate’ the pact. Was it a wedding? No doubt, this was done at the behest of the military, especially the army that is always quick to take credit for any good news regardless of whether it is deserved or not.
Even otherwise educated and intelligent commentators have indulged in hyperbole. They have gone so far as to claim that Pakistan has assumed the role of ‘security guarantor’ not only for Saudi Arabia but the entire West Asian region (aka the Middle East).
What is the truth behind the Saudi-Pakistan agreement referred to as the “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement”? Few details have been divulged. What was announced was that any aggression against one state will be considered an attack on both. Presumably, each side will come to the help of the other.
Suppose Pakistan is attacked by arch-rival India. Will Saudi troops land in Pakistan to defend it? The Saudis are so incompetent that they do not even know how to boil an egg, much less defend anyone.
Pakistan, on the other hand, has a 700,000-strong army, a mercenary force always looking for opportunities to sell their services to whoever is willing to pay. Some Pakistani commentators have claimed that the army will fight Israel. The zionists must be shaking in their boots!
The ‘Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement’ was signed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman at the Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on September 17. The text of the joint statement merely stated that the pact “reflects the shared commitment of both nations (sic) to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world.” So, the Pakistan army will take on the role of a global cop. Really?
The joint statement further said that “[it] aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression.” No further details were provided.
Such agreements are not formalized in a few days. They take months or more to put together. The Pakistanis have been in discussions with the Saudis for quite some time. Further, given Pakistan’s past deployment of troops to the kingdom, the latest accord builds on those arrangements.
A former Pakistan army chief, General Raheel Sharif, already heads a one-man army of 40 Muslim countries. Why not give him a brigade or two to command? At least he will have something to do instead of eating, relaxing, and twiddling his thumbs. He is reportedly paid $6 million annual salary. Not bad for doing absolutely nothing!
While the Saudis have said little about the latest accord, Pakistani commentators have tried to link it to zionist Israel’s September 9 attack on the Hamas delegation in Qatar. They claim that the Arabian rulers can no longer rely on the US for protection, hence their approach to Pakistan.
True, the US will not protect any Arab country, especially from zionist Israel’s criminal acts. The trillions of dollars paid to Washington have not prevented Israeli attacks. In fact, it has become abundantly clear that the US and Israel are partners in crime.
The indicted war ciminal Benjamin Netanyahu has openly talked about the ‘Greater Israel’ project that includes large parts of Egypt, Syria, the whole of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Iraq. The Arabian regimes as well as Turkiye are no in position to defend themselves against zionist expansionism.
Can Pakistan, even with its nuclear arsenal, take on the zionists? Several Pakistani commentators have made such claims, no doubt with encouragement from the army. It is revealing that the accord was signed without being presented to the Pakistani parliament—even a rubber-stamp one—or approved by the cabinet.
The fact that the army chief, Asim Munir was part of the Pakistani delegation gives the game away. It is essentially an army project with civilians acting as front men.
For a bankrupt Pakistan, the accord with the Saudis offers an economic lifeline. It is hoped that in return for providing training to the Saudis—a hopeless task—and deploying its own troops to protect the ruling family, Saudi investments will flow in. Riyadh has been providing oil to Pakistan at discounted prices and has also deposited $2 billion in the State Bank of Pakistan to shore up Islamabad’s paltry foreign exchange reserves.
The biggest beneficiary will be the army. Even if dollars do not flow in, riyals will and they are as good as gold.
People should also disabuse their minds of the notion that Saudi Arabia will take on Israel with Pakistan’s help. The Banu Saud and Banu Israel are on the same page politically and strategically. Both are strongly opposed to any manifestation of Islamic self-determination.
The Saudi-Pakistan accord is a US-zionist sponsored scheme to pave the way for Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to recognize the zionist entity. There have been several secret visits by Pakistani politicians and officials to Israel. Army-sponsored journalists have also visited the zionist entity. These, coupled with periodic statements about the merits of recognizing Israel, are meant to pave the way for such an eventuality. Donald Trump has been exerting pressure on Asim Munir to recognize Israel. His luncheon visit to the White House in June was part of this plot.
The real targets of the accord are different. Despite Iran’s peaceful overtures to its neighbours, the Saudis want to target Islamic Iran, the Ansarallah in Yemen and Hizbullah in Lebanon. Israel has assassinated several Hamas leaders, Hizbullah leader Seyyed Hasan Nasrallah in September 2024, Iran’s top commanders and nuclear scientists in June 2025 and in recent weeks, assassinated cabinet members of Yemen’s revolutionary government and dozens of Yemeni journalists.
Should Pakistan get involved in this criminal enterprise, it will sign its own death warrant. It is already teetering on the brink. As part of the army’s deliberate policy of targeted killings of civilians in Balochistan and KP province, Pakistan may implode.
The generals in Rawalpindi, however, do not care for the country. Their overriding concern is to put their grubby hands on the money that may come from Saudi Arabia. They will promptly transfer it to their bank accounts abroad.
There is no better way to describe treachery borne of greed.
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