Why Pakistan is boosting defence ties with a nation known for its pirates

Pakistan is expanding its defence engagement beyond its traditional neighbourhood through a new security agreement with Somalia, signed days before Islamabad joined Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The developments indicate a broader effort by Pakistan to use military cooperation as an instrument of regional diplomacy despite its severe financial constraints.

The Pakistan-Somalia defence cooperation agreement was signed in Islamabad on August 4 and covers counter-terrorism, military training, exchanges and capacity building. The two countries already cooperate on security and counter-terrorism, with Pakistan having previously offered training and expertise to Somali security institutions.

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Pakistan-Somalia pact expands defence cooperation

Somalia has sought to benefit from Pakistan's experience in counter-terrorism, while Islamabad can provide military training, counter-terrorism expertise and capacity-building support.

Pakistan's Defence Export Promotion Organisation also highlights the country's experience in counter-terrorism training for foreign forces and joint exercises with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Jordan.

The agreement marks an expansion of Pakistan's defence engagement with Somalia rather than a return to its earlier peacekeeping role. Pakistan's armed forces participated in the United Nations operation in Somalia during the early 1990s, with Pakistani peacekeepers among those who died during the mission.

There have also been reports of Somali interest in Pakistani JF-17 fighter aircraft, potentially with Saudi and Turkish backing. However, no aircraft contract has been confirmed, and the reports remain unconfirmed.

Asim Munir's growing role in defence diplomacy

The expansion of Pakistan's defence diplomacy comes as Field Marshal Asim Munir has taken an increasingly prominent role in the country's strategic and foreign-policy affairs.

Munir accompanied Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia from August 6 to 8 for discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations and regional developments.

His involvement in Pakistan's external security relationships has also been visible in its dealings with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. In July, Munir travelled to Turkey and held meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler on strategic and defence cooperation, according to Radio Pakistan.

The Somalia agreement consequently fits into a broader pattern in which Pakistan's military establishment is playing a growing role in the country's external partnerships.

Mecca defence pact deepens Saudi, Turkey ties

Three days after signing the Somalia agreement, Pakistan joined Saudi Arabia and Turkey in the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.

The pact commits the three countries to treating an armed attack against one member as an attack against all. It also envisages closer military coordination, including joint exercises and defence-industrial cooperation.

The agreement adds another dimension to Pakistan's growing defence relationships with Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Turkey brings defence technology and manufacturing capabilities, Saudi Arabia contributes financial resources and regional influence, while Pakistan offers a large military establishment, training capacity and nuclear deterrence.

Why Somalia is strategically important

Somalia provides Pakistan with an entry point into a strategically important region connecting the Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean.

The timing of the agreement is also significant because Saudi Arabia has been expanding its engagement across the Red Sea and Horn of Africa, while Turkey has developed a substantial security presence along Somalia's coastline.

Pakistan's strengthening defence ties with both countries could therefore give Islamabad a role in a broader security network extending from the Arabian Peninsula into the western Indian Ocean.

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Financial constraints pose a challenge

Pakistan's expanding defence diplomacy also highlights a challenge for Islamabad as it seeks to project itself as a security provider in a region involving several powerful external actors.

A sustained military role in Somalia would require personnel, equipment, logistics and funding, resources that Pakistan may find difficult to spare given its financial constraints.

There is also a possibility that Islamabad's role could become closely linked to the strategic calculations of Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The Horn of Africa has competing interests involving Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, the United States and China, while Somalia has sought to diversify its external partnerships.

For Pakistan, defence diplomacy provides a way to pursue greater strategic relevance without deploying large combat forces. The challenge will be sustaining those partnerships without placing additional pressure on its economic and strategic capacity.

The Somalia agreement, signed shortly before the Mecca pact, points to Islamabad's effort under Asim Munir to pursue a broader defence and diplomatic role.