Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.
The highlights this week: The new security pact among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey delivers Islamabad a boost in the Middle East but not in its own backyard, Bangladesh lashes out at India over an event involving former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the Taliban deny detaining an Afghan-U.S. dual citizen who disappeared in Kabul four years ago.
Mecca Pact Is Mixed Blessing for Pakistan
Last week, Pakistan inked a new security pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, known as the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. The deal cements Islamabad’s place in the Middle East’s emerging security architecture and will help advance its interests in the region. But it likely won’t help Pakistan much in its own neighborhood, where it is grappling with hostile neighbors.
The Mecca pact comes less than a year after Pakistan concluded a mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia—and as it is taking steps to strengthen security cooperation with other Middle Eastern allies, including Egypt, Jordan, and Kuwait.
