Pakistan’s 'defence pact' with Saudi Arabia exposed as hollow during Durand Line clashes with Afghanistan | Explained

Taliban security personnel on a Soviet-era tank are followed by motorcyclists as they ride towards the border, as clashes take place between Taliban security personnel and Pakistani border forces, in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar Province on October 15, 2025. Fifteen civilians were (Photo by Sanaullah SEIAM / AFP)

Pakistan’s latest border conflict with Afghanistan has not only revealed deep security flaws but also exposed the hollowness of its much-touted “strategic” defence relationship with Saudi Arabia. According to a CNN-News18 report, the so-called Pakistan-Saudi Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), long projected as a cornerstone of Islamabad’s foreign policy, appears to have little substance or practical value.

During the recent clashes along the Durand Line, which left dozens dead and further strained ties between Islamabad and Kabul, Saudi Arabia offered no military or diplomatic support. Instead, Riyadh issued what CNN-News18 described as a “generic appeal calling for ‘restraint and de-escalation’ from both sides.” The muted response has cast serious doubt over Pakistan’s repeated claims that the SMDA included a binding “one attacked, both respond” clause.

Critics in Pakistan now say that the myth of a Saudi security umbrella has finally collapsed. Opposition leaders and defence analysts have accused the government of misleading the public by overstating the depth of its alliance with Riyadh. Calls are growing for the full text of the SMDA to be tabled in Parliament to determine whether such a pact ever truly existed in operational terms.

Adding to Islamabad’s embarrassment, it was not Saudi Arabia but Qatar, with backing from Turkey, that successfully mediated an immediate ceasefire between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban in Doha. As CNN-News18 noted, the Afghan side even managed to secure the removal of the words “Durand Line” and “border” from the official Qatari statement, marking a symbolic diplomatic win over Pakistan.

With Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on October 26, analysts believe the trip will be dominated by damage control. For Pakistan, the episode is a stark reminder that its reliance on traditional Gulf allies is increasingly unreliable in times of crisis.