Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed under a mutual defence pact that an attack on either one will be treated as an attack on both, a development that comes just days after an Israeli strike on the Qatari capital Doha targeting the Palestinian group Hamas sent shockwaves across Gulf nations that rely on US protection.

The “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement” was signed by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia on the invitation of the Crown Prince.

A joint statement from both sides said the treaty declares that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”. The Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, foreign minister Ishaq Dar, and defence minister Khawaja Asif were among the senior officials who accompanied Sharif to the kingdom.

The statement also noted that the pact reflects the “shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security” and “aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression”, as earlier reported by HT.

The agreement is seen as one of Pakistan’s most significant defence pacts in decades and is likely to have an impact on the strengthening ties between India and Saudi Arabia. It also formally establishes Pakistan’s role in the evolving security framework of West Asia.

On Thursday, India responded to the signing of the pact by saying the government would take all necessary steps to safeguard the country’s national interests and ensure comprehensive national security across all areas, reflecting concerns over the move.

The Ministry of External Affairs said it was aware that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had been working towards such a pact to formalise a long-standing arrangement. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India would carefully study the implications of the agreement.

The signing of the defence pact followed an emergency summit of Arab and Muslim nations hosted by Qatar after Israel’s military strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha last week, a meeting that brought together almost 60 members of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).