Don't think we should overreact: Tharoor on Saudi-Pakistan defence pact

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday stated that India should not overreact to the recent Saudi Arabia-Pakistan mutual defence agreement, describing it as a formalisation of a long-standing relationship between the two nations.

In an interview with ANI, Tharoor emphasised the need for a balanced perspective, cautioning against viewing international developments solely through the lens of India's interests.

"Don't forget it is a formalisation of a long-standing arrangement. There was a time when there were 20,000 Pakistani soldiers stationed in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has long tried to project itself as the sort of enforcement arm of the Muslim world," Tharoor said, referencing historical ties between the two countries.

He cited a reported statement by the Saudi Crown Prince, who allegedly said, "I don't need to make a bomb; if I want a bomb, I'll buy one from Pakistan," to underline the deep-rooted nature of their relationship.

"That kind of relationship has already been very well known to the world. And I don't think that we should overreact," Tharoor said.

While acknowledging concerns about the clause in the pact that considers aggression against one country as aggression against the other, Tharoor expressed confidence in India's diplomatic efforts and highlighted India's strong ties with Gulf countries.

"However, there are some troubling elements, particularly the statement that any aggression on one country would be seen as aggression on the other... But I'm sure, frankly, that our diplomats are not sitting idle. They are talking to the Saudis. They are clarifying a lot of these things. And I'm sure that we should have some faith in our government on these matters," he said.

"We have got very good relations with the Islamic world. Our relations with the Gulf countries in particular have never been stronger. And that we should be able to ride over this," he added. Tharoor urged against India adopting a "self-centred view" of global affairs, noting that not all actions by other nations are directed at New Delhi.

"We must not have such a self-centred view of the world that we assume everything that Trump does that affects us is because of us or his feelings towards us. It may be about his domestic constituency," he remarked.

Similarly, he noted that the Saudi-Pakistan pact reflects their independent bilateral history rather than being targeted at India.

Last week, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a "Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement", pledging that any aggression against either nation would be treated as an attack on both.

The agreement was inked during a state visit by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Riyadh at the invitation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

According to a joint statement issued following the visit, "This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both."

Hours after the announcement, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a response stating that it would closely study the pact's implications for India's national security and regional and global stability.

In a statement, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that New Delhi acknowledges the formalisation of what it described as a "long-standing arrangement" between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, while noting that it would closely examine its potential ramifications.

Jaiswal further emphasised that India's national security remains paramount in light of this development.

"We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Government was aware that this development, which formalises a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration. We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The Government remains committed to protecting India's national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains," the statement from the MEA read.