RIYADH (Monitoring Desk): Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye have signed the “Makkah Mutual Defense Agreement,” under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be considered an attack on all three states.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman attended the trilateral meeting held in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The three leaders expressed their resolve to further strengthen their historic ties, Islamic brotherhood, common interests, and longstanding defense cooperation.
The meeting, held at Qasr Al-Safa, discussed defense cooperation among the three countries, matters of mutual interest, and the security situation in the region. The main objective of the agreement is to enhance joint defense capabilities, strengthen mutual security, and promote peace, stability, and security in the region.
Under the agreement, external aggression against any one member state will be considered an attack against all three countries. The agreement also includes provisions to expand defense cooperation in various fields, strengthen military ties, enhance intelligence cooperation, and increase joint defense capabilities.
The historical and strategic relations spanning several decades between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye have been described as important to the agreement. Pakistan-Türkiye relations date back to the Khilafat Movement era, while Pakistan has longstanding political, defense, economic, and people-to-people ties with Saudi Arabia.
According to the agreement, the different defense capabilities of the three countries will complement one another. Pakistan’s military strength and combat experience, Saudi Arabia’s economic and strategic importance, and Türkiye’s advanced defense technology and industrial capabilities will further strengthen joint security cooperation.
The three countries have made it clear that the agreement is not directed against any state and is purely defensive in nature. Its objective is to prevent potential aggression through collective defense and effective deterrence, reduce the possibility of conflicts, and promote regional peace and stability.
The agreement has also not been presented as the establishment of a “Muslim NATO” or as a nuclear guarantee. Instead, it has been described as an effort to give legal form to the existing defense cooperation among the three countries and increase self-reliance in matters of collective security.
Pakistan’s regional diplomacy and its relations with various countries were also highlighted on the occasion, while diplomatic efforts and strategic restraint, alongside military preparedness, were described as essential for regional stability.
Friday Prayers Before the Agreement
Before the defense agreement was signed, the leaders of the three countries offered Friday prayers in Makkah. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistan’s Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir attended the prayers.
Special prayers were also offered on the occasion for peace, stability, security, and prosperity in the region.