Resurgence in US-Pak ties a "tension point" in India-US relations: South Asia analyst Kugelman

New York [US], September 25 (ANI): The recent strengthening of US-Pakistan ties has emerged as a significant “tension point” in India-US relations, according to South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman, particularly in light of recent geopolitical frictions between Washington and New Delhi.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Kugelman noted that while India has long accepted the US-Pakistan friendship, including military aspects, the rapid resurgence has amplified existing frictions.

“As we know, India quite some time ago accepted the fact that the US and Pakistan would have a friendly relationship, including a friendly military relationship. This resurgence in US-Pakistan ties has become a tension point in US-India relations, just because there are so many other bad things happening in US-India relations and also the US-Pakistan relationship has really strengthened very quickly in very big ways,” Kugelman said.

He pointed to the expected visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump as a key indicator of the relationship’s momentum, while also referring to the role of Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir in strengthening the relationship.

“If it is true that Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif goes to Washington to meet with President Trump, that would be the latest indication of just how far this relationship has come… Honestly, after the meeting between President Trump and Field Marshal Munir, anything that comes after that would not be as significant, given how powerful Munir is,” Kugelman added.

Kugelman also weighed in on the recently announced mutual defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, calling it a “game changer” for regional security dynamics and a development that India will be watching closely.

While he noted that Saudi Arabia is unlikely to let its defence pact with Pakistan undermine its growing partnership with India, the agreement formally places Pakistan within the security framework of the Middle East, a region vital to India’s strategic interests.

“It’s a game changer. I think that it’s significant for India in the sense that India has a very close relationship with Saudi Arabia and also, given the history of relations between India and Pakistan, there certainly is a chance that sometime in the future, India will attack Pakistan. Because of these terrorism concerns and the past precedent, it’s a mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan,” he explained.

“Saudi Arabia has a strong relationship with India. It’s not going to let this pact get in the way of Saudi-India relations. But with the fact that Pakistan now has a formal institutionalised alliance with Saudi Arabia, even as it continues to pursue its very strong partnerships with China and Turkey and other Arab Gulf states, as well as this resurgence in ties with the US, Pakistan has been able to resurrect and fortify a lot of its alliances and I think that poses some new challenges for India,” Kugelman added.

The analyst, however, acknowledged India’s strong geopolitical position, noting its partnerships with Europe, Israel, key Middle Eastern players, and Russia.

“As this has formally enshrined Pakistan in the security architecture of the Middle East, it is important for India, given how important the Middle East is to India’s own strategic interests,” he concluded.

Last week, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a “Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement”, pledging that any aggression against either nation would be treated as an attack on both.

According to a joint statement issued following the visit, “This agreement, which reflects the shared commitment of both nations to enhance their security and to achieving security and peace in the region and the world, aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression. The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.”

Hours after the announcement, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a response stating that it would closely study the pact’s implications for India’s national security and regional and global stability.

In a statement, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that New Delhi acknowledges the formalisation of what it described as a “long-standing arrangement” between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, while noting that it would closely examine its potential ramifications.

Jaiswal further emphasised that India’s national security remains paramount in light of this development.

“We have seen reports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The Government was aware that this development, which formalises a long-standing arrangement between the two countries, had been under consideration. We will study the implications of this development for our national security as well as for regional and global stability. The Government remains committed to protecting India’s national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security in all domains,” the statement from the MEA read. (ANI)

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