Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.
The highlights this week: Pakistan deploys troops to Saudi Arabia per their mutual defense pact, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the United Arab Emirates amid growing ties, and Nepal’s new government opens an investigation into a short-lived minister.
Pakistan Deploys Troops to Saudi Arabia
On Monday, Reuters reported that Pakistan had deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets, and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia as part of the mutual defense pact reached between the two countries last year. Part of this deployment was reported last month following a statement from the Saudi Defense Ministry, though with fewer specifics.
The development amplifies Pakistan’s diplomatic balancing act in the Middle East as it aims to play a prominent mediation role in the Iran war. To succeed, Islamabad must maintain Tehran’s trust as a neutral and credible intermediary, even as its ties with Riyadh, a major rival of Iran, grow deeper.
