Geneva, March 4 (NationPress) Advocates for global disarmament are raising concerns that the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan poses a threat to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and undermines the humanitarian principles of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which outright rejects the legitimacy of nuclear arms in any security context, according to a recent report.

On September 17, 2025, Saudi Arabia, a signatory of the NPT, and nuclear-capable Pakistan entered into a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement. This agreement obligates both nations to consider an attack on one as an attack on the other, thereby formalizing their long-standing security collaboration and indicating a shift in the security dynamics of Gulf states away from a sole dependence on the United States, as detailed in a report from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

While the formal text of the agreement remains undisclosed, a Saudi official, when queried about the inclusion of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, stated: “This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means.”

Although Pakistan has not publicly confirmed that it has extended nuclear protection to Saudi Arabia, the surrounding context and subsequent statements have ignited discussions about whether Pakistan has, for the first time, effectively provided a nuclear umbrella to a non-nuclear ally. What implications might this have for international norms?

Analysts from the London-based think tank Chatham House have warned that this agreement “sets a precedent for extended deterrence” by nuclear-armed Pakistan beyond the confines of the NPT, even in the absence of explicit references to nuclear arms.

According to reports from Pakistani media, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif mentioned: “What we have, and the capabilities we possess, will be made available under this agreement,” a statement widely interpreted as a reference to the nation’s nuclear capabilities.

Although he later asserted that nuclear armaments were “not on the radar,” the senior Saudi official characterized the agreement as a comprehensive defense arrangement without discounting nuclear possibilities.

“The deployment of nuclear weapons could indiscriminately devastate lives globally, yet policies surrounding their use remain obscured from the citizens of nuclear-armed and nuclear-allied nations, from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to Germany and the United States. This lack of transparency is concerning. The public deserves access to information for scrutinizing nuclear policies and discussing their humanitarian ramifications,” stated Alicia Sanders-Zakre, ICAN's Head of Policy.