Key facts
- Pakistan agreed to rapidly deploy forces to Saudi Arabia under a defense pact signed in August.
- The deployment occurred without a parliamentary vote, a departure from a 2015 decision.
- Field Marshal Asim Munir's command of all three services until 2030, with lifetime rank and immunity, underscores the military's power.
- The defense pact was invoked for the first time as Saudi Arabia faces escalating attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
- Pakistan's information ministry stated the alliance "has gone through all necessary government procedures" but did not specify parliamentary involvement.
Pakistan has agreed to rapidly deploy forces to Saudi Arabia under a defense pact signed in August, a move that bypasses parliamentary approval and underscores the military's growing influence on foreign policy under Field Marshal Asim Munir. The pact was invoked for the first time on October 8, as Saudi Arabia faces escalating attacks from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
Constitutional changes enacted last year placed Munir in command of all three military services until 2030, granting him lifetime rank as field marshal and immunity from prosecution. Analysts suggest this deployment signals the military's increasing domestic power, particularly as former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party accuses the army of dominating politics, an accusation the military denies.
Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, noted that in the past, parliament's decisions on troop deployment were respected, but "it's a different era now." Pakistan's information ministry stated the alliance "has gone through all necessary government procedures" but did not confirm parliamentary or cabinet involvement, citing "operational confidentiality."
It remains unclear if Pakistani troops will engage in combat against the Houthis. While Pakistan maintains relations with Iran and acts as a mediator in US-led efforts, direct involvement in fighting the Houthis could strain these ties. The Houthis have targeted Saudi shipping and infrastructure, including a recent alleged strike on a power station in Medina, a claim denied by the group.
Following an emergency meeting in Riyadh attended by Munir and his Saudi and Turkish counterparts, the three nations condemned attacks on Mecca and Medina and pledged to "provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment" in line with "national legislation." Specifics on troop numbers, missions, command, costs, or duration were not disclosed.
In 2015, a similar request for troops by Saudi Arabia for its Yemen campaign was put to the Pakistani parliament, which unanimously resolved to remain neutral. Analysts attribute the current difference to political shifts rather than legal ones, as the constitution has consistently granted the federal government control over the armed forces. However, the military has historically maintained significant influence over defense and foreign relations, even under democratic governments. Munir is widely considered more powerful domestically than his predecessors.
Representatives for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party did not comment. Zulfi Bukhari, a spokesman for Imran Khan's party, stated the issue should be decided with "political acumen" but did not indicate the party's stance on the deployment.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement builds upon a 2025 Saudi-Pakistani pact, under which Reuters reported Pakistan had already sent approximately 8,000 troops to the kingdom by May. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government supported the constitutional changes, with his spokesperson crediting "the trust and symbiosis between the field marshal and prime minister" for diplomatic achievements.
Andreas Krieg of King's College London described a "reinforcing cycle" where foreign partners' reliance on Pakistan's army strengthens its domestic position. He noted that while partners don't create the civil-military imbalance, they can reward it, leading to a system with weak counterweights that is "good at entering commitments and worse at correcting them once costs emerge."