‘Islamic Nato’? Why Pakistan’s new defence pact has India on edge

A new defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey has caused concern in New Delhi about Pakistan potentially expanding security ties with Muslim-majority countries in India's neighbourhood. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on Friday, states that an armed attack on any one of the three nations would be considered an attack on all. This follows a bilateral pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed last September.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif likened the agreement to a potential Nato model, though analysts believe Islamic nations are more likely to prioritise national interests over religious solidarity. India is keeping a close watch on Bangladesh, whose defence ties with both Pakistan and Turkey have grown recently. Bangladesh is exploring the purchase of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan as part of its military modernisation plans.

However, it is unlikely that Bangladesh would formally join the Mecca pact, despite buying arms and conducting joint military exercises.

India has been working to stabilise ties with Bangladesh following a period of tension. Indian security and intelligence agencies remain concerned about Islamic militant groups potentially operating within Bangladesh. The Maldives, also a Muslim-majority country, has significant economic and security ties with India and participates in regional partnerships.

If either Bangladesh or the Maldives were to join a formal or informal alliance with Pakistan, it could introduce a significant new variable into the security calculus of the Bay of Bengal and the wider Indian Ocean region.