Kamal Ghorui
Leaked classified documents have revealed the inner workings of a secret Saudi Arabia-Pakistan mutual defense pact, exposing how Islamabad may be far more deeply tied to the ongoing Iran conflict than previously known.The disclosures, obtained by Drop Site News, show that the defense agreement between Riyadh and Islamabad, formally signed in 2025 as the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, has already been activated amid escalating regional war. The revelation comes after Saudi Arabia publicly announced on Saturday that Pakistani military forces, including aircraft, had arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base in the kingdom’s Eastern Sector to boost joint operational readiness.The deployment appears significant because Pakistan has simultaneously been presenting itself as a neutral mediator in ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran. Those talks, hosted in Islamabad, collapsed over the weekend after American officials left without securing an agreement. The leaked files now suggest Pakistan’s diplomatic balancing act is under severe strain, as the pact could legally compel it to defend Saudi Arabia if requested.The agreement has never been made public in full and was not presented before Pakistan’s parliament, raising serious questions about transparency and democratic oversight. According to the documents, the current pact evolved from earlier confidential military agreements dating back to 1982 and 2005, but a crucial amendment in 2021 dramatically expanded Pakistan’s obligations. For the first time, Islamabad became formally bound to send forces to Saudi Arabia if the kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, or security interests came under threat.Internal Pakistani memos cited in the leak reveal unease within military circles over the one-sided nature of the arrangement. Officials reportedly worried that the language could drag Pakistan into conflicts beyond Saudi territory, particularly involving Iran, while offering little reciprocal military guarantee from Riyadh.The timing of the pact’s activation is especially sensitive. Iran has launched repeated strikes on Saudi military and energy infrastructure in retaliation for attacks linked to the wider US-Israeli campaign. Saudi Arabia recently disclosed that attacks on a critical pipeline had wiped out 10 percent of its export capacity, increasing pressure on its regional allies.Pakistan’s dependence on Saudi financial support adds another layer of complexity. As Islamabad struggles with economic instability, Riyadh and Qatar have recently stepped in with $5 billion in financial assistance after the UAE recalled a loan. Analysts say this financial reliance may limit Pakistan’s room to maneuver diplomatically.The leak also explains Pakistan’s urgency in trying to broker peace. A direct military confrontation with Iran would carry enormous domestic and strategic risks for Islamabad, which shares a sensitive border with Iran and has a large Shia population sympathetic to Tehran.What emerges from the leaked documents is a stark contradiction. While Pakistan publicly seeks to mediate peace, it is privately bound by treaty to a military alliance that could force it into the very war it is trying to stop.
