ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye was “purely defensive in nature” and was “not targeted against any country”, as he sought to clarify the purpose and scope of the pact amid growing discussion over the agreement.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday, establishing a framework for collective security and defence cooperation under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all. The pact built on a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025, which contained a similar mutual-defence commitment.
In a post on X, Dar said the agreement’s “sole purpose” was to strengthen ongoing efforts towards “peace, stability and prosperity” in the wider region. He described the Makkah Accord as a reflection of the “depth of the brotherly relations” between the leaderships and peoples of the three countries.
He said the agreement was the culmination of “years of discussions and coordination”, driven by a shared desire to strengthen strategic cooperation in addressing “multifarious peace and security challenges” and advancing regional peace, stability and prosperity.
Dar stressed that the accord did not “abrogate or replace” any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between the three countries, or their agreements with other countries or organisations.
Under the agreement, “any external armed attack on any one of the three countries will be considered as an attack on all”, consistent with the inherent right of individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The foreign minister said the accord remained open to other countries in the region willing to uphold its “fundamental principles” and resolve differences through “mutual respect, cooperation and peaceful means”.
He said the agreement was consistent with Pakistan’s “fundamental pillars” of foreign policy and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to working with “all brotherly countries in the region” towards lasting peace and stability.
“We remain committed to advancing the cause of peaceful resolution of all conflicts and building a more secure, stable and prosperous future for our peoples,” Dar said.
Separately, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan wanted the framework to expand beyond the three founding members, with Egypt among the potential countries that could join once certain technical matters were resolved.
He added that a ministerial committee and a general secretariat based in Saudi Arabia were also planned, with operational details to be worked out at the committee’s first meeting.
