What happened

According to Dawn, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have completed the ratification process for the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, while Turkiye is currently completing its required domestic legal procedures. Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan announced during a weekly briefing that discussions regarding the pact's ratification and operational steps remain ongoing among the three countries, following a meeting of their Strategic Political and Defence Committee on Oct 5.

Key facts

  • The tri-nation Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was originally signed in August by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye to strengthen regional stability and collective deterrence.
  • Under Article 2 of the pact, an external armed attack against one member state is treated as an attack on all members.
  • Khan stated that the agreement is strictly defensive, aligns with self-defence rights under Article 51 of the UN Charter, and contains no hidden clauses.
  • The Foreign Office previously clarified that committing military assets under the agreement falls under executive authority in Pakistan and does not necessarily require parliamentary approval.
  • The three partner nations will jointly evaluate situations as they arise to decide the exact nature and extent of collective military assistance.

Why it matters

As reported by Dawn, the agreement has taken on added significance due to recent Houthi strikes targeting Saudi Arabia. Following an emergency meeting in Riyadh, the three member nations agreed to rapidly deploy military capabilities to Saudi Arabia. Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry affirmed that Pakistan is providing necessary support to defend Saudi sovereignty. The Foreign Office expressed concern over the regional impact of the attacks, reiterating its condemnation while maintaining support for a negotiated political settlement that respects Yemen's sovereignty. Additional operational specifics were not specified in the source; please check the official notice.

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Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 23, 2026 · Photo by Bekky Bekks on Unsplash