Pak, Saudi & Turkiye ink joint defence pact

Nato-style agreement: Attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all

The pact reflects the three states’ shared commitment to further strengthening their collective security and promoting regional peace and stability. 

Joint statement 

Islamabad: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on Friday signed a joint defence agreement under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all, amid heightened tensions in West Asia.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement after a summit at Al-Safa Palace in Mecca.

A joint statement said the pact seeks to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression and enhance defence cooperation among the three countries.

The agreement brings together nuclear-armed Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s top oil exporters, and Turkiye, a Nato member.

The pact comes as the West Asia conflict has widened across several fronts, including the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait, prompting Gulf states to strengthen security coordination.

Last week, Saudi Arabia proposed a Multinational Maritime Defence Coalition to protect commercial shipping lanes and critical energy routes after Saudi ships came under attack from Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. Fourteen countries, including Pakistan, reportedly backed the initiative. —PTI

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