Islamabad, Pakistan – On April 11, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shook hands with United States Vice President JD Vance, guiding him to a seat for talks on the sidelines of the highest-level direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
At almost the same time, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense made a very different announcement.
In a statement carried by the state-owned Saudi Press Agency, Riyadh confirmed the arrival of a Pakistani military force at King Abdulaziz Air Base in the kingdom’s Eastern Province under the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) signed last year.
The statement said the deployment included fighter and support aircraft from the Pakistan Air Force, aimed at strengthening joint military coordination and raising operational readiness between the two countries.
In the two days that have passed since then, Pakistan’s government has made no official statement about the development. The military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Ministry of Information, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comment sent by Al Jazeera
The Saudi announcement immediately underscored Pakistan’s delicate juggling act in the middle of a war that has destabilised the global economy, led to attacks and deaths in multiple countries and has now led to a high-stakes escalation between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the one hand, Islamabad has been a central mediator between the US and Iran, hosting their teams last Saturday, and driving attempts to get them to continue with talks after the breakdown in their negotiations.
On the other hand, the SMDA represents a commitment from Pakistan to militarily assist a key ally that was repeatedly hit by Iran before the ceasefire – with Tehran offering no guarantees it will not strike Saudi Arabia or other Gulf nations again.
For now, Pakistani officials said, they can manage both roles.
A Pakistani official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Islamabad remains committed to facilitating the process for as many rounds as required, adding that diplomatic contact between all sides continues.
Sharif is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days, with visits to other regional countries, including Turkiye, also likely as Islamabad seeks to sustain diplomatic momentum before the ceasefire deadline
But with a US naval blockade of Iranian ports now in effect and the ceasefire Islamabad brokered between Washington and Tehran set to expire on April 22, Pakistan’s balancing act could become more complicated.
A day before the Islamabad talks opened, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan made a brief visit to Islamabad, calling on PM Sharif at the prime minister’s House. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir were also present
According to an official statement, Sharif expressed appreciation for Riyadh’s “longstanding economic and financial support” to Pakistan, which he said had played a vital role in stabilising the country’s economy
The visit underscored the breadth of the Pakistan-Saudi relationship, spanning defence, diplomacy and finance
The SMDA was signed on September 17, 2025, at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Sharif, with Munir also in attendance. It commits both countries to treating any act of aggression against one as an act against
Pakistan’s position on the agreement has remained consistent.
Addressing the Senate on March 3, three days after the war began, Dar said plainly that Pakistan had a defence pact with Saudi Arabia “and the whole world knows about it
He added that he had personally conveyed Pakistan’s obligations under the pact to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, making clear what the agreement entailed.
Sharif similarly pledged that Pakistan would stand by the kingdom and its people
What remains unclear is under what specific conditions either Pakistan or Saudi Arabia are expected to come to the other’s defence. Would one of them need to declare that they are at war with another country? Would either of them need to specifically request the other to join a military intervention? Has Saudi Arabia so far refrained from formally asking Pakistan to come to its defence
Analysts say the steps taken so far by Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to demonstrate that the SMDA is in operation are aimed at sending clear messages to other countries – even as the ambiguity over the specific contents of the deal itself serves as a deterrent. An enemy of Saudi Arabia, for instance, will not know exactly when it will also need to contend with Pakistan’s military
To be clear, Pakistan’s military presence in the Arab world is longstanding. Pakistani pilots flew for Arab air forces during the 1967 Six-Day War, and Pakistani forces have been deployed across the Middle East in various roles since the 1960s
In Saudi Arabia, Pakistan has trained thousands of military personnel since 1967. A formal agreement in 1982 institutionalised the deployment of Pakistani armed forces personnel for training purposes
During the 1970s and 1980s, Pakistani troops were stationed in significant numbers in the kingdom, including to protect oil infrastructure in the Eastern Province, the same region where the current deployment is based
Still, the SMDA is the first pact that formally commits Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to treating an attack on one as an attack on the other
A second call followed on April 13, focusing on regional developments and the outcome of the Islamabad talks.
Analysts say the continued contact suggests both sides have an interest in keeping communication lines open, regardless of military positioning.
Iranian scepticism of Pakistan, if any, can at least be offset by the certainty that Pakistan will prioritise the stability of the region over other interests,” Cheema said.
#yescoin #UnicornChannel #InvestmentAccessibility #orocryptotrends #pepepumping