Web Desk: Pakistan is emerging as a key security partner in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa, as Turkiye is close to joining a Saudi-Pakistan joint defence pact, while Islamabad is finalising a major arms deal with Sudan.
According to sources, Turkiye is seriously considering joining a strategic defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, under which an attack on one country would be considered an attack on all three. The pact, signed between Riyadh and Islamabad last year, is similar to the collective defence principle of Western alliances such as NATO. If Turkey joins it, it would mark a major shift in its security policy away from NATO. Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have increasingly intertwined interests in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa.
According to a Turkish defence analyst, Saudi Arabia brings financial power, Pakistan provides nuclear capability and a large army, while Turkiye provides combat experience and a rapidly growing defence industry. Officials from the three countries have not yet commented.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has almost finalised an arms deal with Sudan worth $1.5 billion. The package includes Karakoram-8 fighter jets, more than 200 spy and autonomous attack drones, advanced air defence systems and possibly JF-17 fighter jets. Sudan is currently in the grip of a severe civil war that the United Nations has described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Pakistani drones and air power could help the Sudanese army regain air superiority.
The deal will further strengthen Pakistan’s growing defence export role. In recent months, Pakistan has signed a major defence deal with Libya and has also held preliminary talks with Bangladesh on aircraft and training systems. According to officials from Pakistan, defence exports are becoming an important pillar of the country’s economic stability, especially as Pakistan undergoes fiscal reforms under an IMF program.
As Turkiye considers joining the Saudi-Pakistan defence alliance and Pakistan expands its defence influence in Africa, it is a sign that regional powers are quietly creating an alternative global security architecture to the United States.
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