Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact to have grave implications for India's national security, failure of PM's diplomacy: Congress

Jairam Ramesh

The Congress on Thursday expressed concern over Saudi Arabia signing a "strategic mutual defence" tie-up with Pakistan, saying it will have “grave implications” for India’s national security.

Taking to X, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote, “A month after Operation Sindoor was abruptly stopped, President Trump hosted Field Marshal Asim Munir for lunch at the White House - the same person whose incendiary and inflammatory statements directly led to the Pahalgam terror attacks of April 2025.”

“Just a few days after our Prime Minister's much-touted visit to China, President Xi threw open China's secret military complex to Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari,” he added.

"Now, Saudi Arabia, where the Prime Minister was when the Pahalgam terror attacks took place, has signed a 'strategic mutual defence' pact with Pakistan," Ramesh said.

Mentioning that it would have grave implications on India’s national security, Jairam Ramesh said it was a big setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The Indian National Congress notes with concern yet another setback for the much-hyped personalised diplomacy of our Prime Minister,” he said.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a "strategic mutual defence" agreement, which declares that any attack on either country will be considered "an aggression against both".

The agreement was signed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday, during the Pakistani leader's daylong visit to the Gulf kingdom, according to a joint statement.

Commenting on the development, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India will study the implications of the move for its national security as well as for regional and global stability.

"We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability," he said.