Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey Sign Makkah Defence Pact, Cited as Purely Defensive and Not Targeted at Any Country.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on Friday in the holy city of Makkah. The pact states that an armed attack on one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the agreement is “purely defensive” and “not targeted against any country.” He emphasized that it does not replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between the three states or with other partners. The agreement builds on a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025. That earlier pact also committed the two parties to consider any aggression against one as aggression against the other. Dar described the Makkah Accord as a reflection of the “depth of the brotherly relations” between the leaderships of the three countries and said its sole purpose is to strengthen efforts toward peace, stability and prosperity in the wider region. The pact is open to other regional states that share its fundamental principles and are willing to resolve differences through cooperation and peaceful means. A ministerial committee and a general secretariat based in Saudi Arabia are planned to develop operational details. The signing followed nearly a year of negotiations amid heightened instability in the Middle East. Pakistan has a long history of military cooperation with Saudi Arabia, training Saudi forces and deploying about 8,000 troops, fighter jets, drones and an air‑defence system to the kingdom. Saudi Arabia also agreed in 2023 to purchase Turkish drones in its largest defence export contract. The Makkah Agreement reinforces collective deterrence, builds on existing defence ties, and signals a strategic alignment among three countries with significant military capabilities. Dar reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to working with all brotherly countries toward lasting peace and stability, and echoed Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s view that the framework could expand to include other members after resolving technical matters.