Saudi Arabia, Pakistan seal mutual defense pact amid regional tensions

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have formalized a sweeping mutual defense pact that commits each to view any attack on the other as a direct assault on itself. The agreement, signed in the wake of Israel's airstrikes on Qatar, signals a new phase in regional security alignments at a time of escalating tensions across the Middle East.

For decades, Riyadh and Islamabad have maintained deep economic,