rki.news | Sources Dawn
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said Thursday that the Makkah Defence Alliance with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye remains defensive in nature and that expansion of the three-member pact is not currently under consideration.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said during a weekly briefing that the alliance was primarily aimed at strengthening regional security through deterrence.
He said Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye must first consolidate their cooperation and organisational framework before considering expansion. The agreement could later be opened to countries sharing similar positions and perspectives, he added.
Khan said consultations were continuing at various levels and significant work remained to finalise the alliance’s structure, mechanisms and procedures.
The defence pact, signed on Aug. 7, seeks to strengthen collective deterrence and enables its members to regard an attack against one as an attack against all.
Its inaugural meeting was held in Istanbul on Aug. 31, where members agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia under a secretary general. Pakistan will initially provide the secretary general for a three-year term.
Khan said details about future meetings would be shared as consultations progress, stressing that any decision on expansion would be taken at a later stage.
Pakistan Says Makkah Defence Pact Remains Defensive, Expansion Delayed
