Pakistan’s Westward Turn — Strategic Depth Or Overstretch, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• Pakistan signed a defence cooperation agreement with Kuwait on August 27, 2026, expanding its strategic presence in West Asia.
• This follows Pakistan's membership in the Saudi Arabia-Türkiye-Pakistan defence arrangement, formalized by the Makkah Agreement on August 7, 2026.
• The Makkah Agreement includes a collective defence provision, treating an armed attack against one member as an attack against all.
• A permanent secretariat for the arrangement will be established in Saudi Arabia, with a Pakistani serving as its first Secretary-General.
• Pakistan has also recently played a role as an intermediary between Iran and the United States.

Detailed Insights:

• Pakistan's West Asian orientation has historical roots, including its participation in the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) and Regional Cooperation for Development.
• After 1971, Pakistan deepened its ties with the Arab world, emphasizing its Islamic identity and developing military relationships with Saudi Arabia and Gulf monarchies.
• The new defence arrangement aims to strengthen military interoperability and pursue defence-industrial cooperation, including joint technology development.
• The Makkah Agreement faces its first test with renewed Houthi missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, creating dilemmas for Pakistan.
• Pakistan's multiple roles in West Asia (Saudi partner, Türkiye ally, Iran friend, US intermediary) become irreconcilable during heightened regional tensions.
• For India, Pakistan's westward turn presents both a challenge of increased resilience and a potential relief due to strategic overstretch.
• India maintains strong economic and strategic relationships with Gulf states, which can serve as a counter to Pakistan's expanding footprint.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Strategic Depth: A nation's ability to absorb an enemy's attack and still retain the capacity to retaliate, often by having allies or territory that can serve as a buffer.
• Strategic Overstretch: A situation where a nation's global commitments and military deployments exceed its available resources, leading to a weakening of its overall power.
• Collective Defence: An arrangement where states agree that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all, obligating them to mutual assistance.