An Islamic NATO? What Pak-Saudi-Türkiye defence pact means for India

Jan 19, 2026 | 23:25 IST

Image: AI

Ankara is likely to join a defence pact signed by Islamabad and Riyadh in September, amid growing unease in West Asia about the reliability of the US as a long-term security guarantor. Should India be worried?

Last September, Saudi Arabia and its long-time ally Pakistan signed a security agreement featuring a collective defence clause. Modelled on NATO’s Article 5, the pact pledges that an attack on one nation will be treated as an attack on both.

The framework came against the backdrop of the September 9 Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar – an action that angered the Arab nations and prompted them to hold an emergency security meeting in Doha.

TOI

TOI

An Islamic NATO? What Pak-Saudi-Türkiye defence pact means for India

Ankara is likely to join a defence pact signed by Islamabad and Riyadh in September, amid growing unease in West Asia about the reliability of the US as a long-term security guarantor. Should India be worried?

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TOI

An Islamic NATO? What Pak-Saudi-Türkiye defence pact means for India

Ankara is likely to join a defence pact signed by Islamabad and Riyadh in September, amid growing unease in West Asia about the reliability of the US as a long-term security guarantor. Should India be worried?

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