Pakistan says its new defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey is purely defensive and not directed against any country.
The agreement says an armed attack on one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all three.
Ishaq Dar says other regional countries can join the pact if they uphold its principles and pursue peaceful solutions.
Pakistan has said its new defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey is not directed against any country, as Islamabad moved to clarify the purpose of the pact amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed on Friday by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the three countries seek to deepen security cooperation. The agreement provides for collective defence and remains open to other countries in the region, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.
Dar said on Sunday that the agreement was “purely defensive in nature” and reflected a shared desire to strengthen strategic security cooperation. According to AP, he said other countries could join if they were willing to uphold its principles and resolve differences through peaceful means.
Dar’s comments came a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan similarly said the agreement was not aimed at Iran or any other country.
The agreement stipulates “that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” according to statements released by the three countries. Dar said the provision was consistent with the right of individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
Pakistan, he said, would continue working with countries across the region towards lasting peace and stability.
“The Makkah Accord does not abrogate or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between these countries, or with other countries or organizations,” Dar wrote in a post on X.
His comments followed overnight public celebrations of the agreement. Landmarks in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and in Saudi cities were illuminated in the colours of the Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani flags.
The three countries bring significant but differing capabilities to the arrangement. Pakistan has extensive military experience and is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed country. Saudi Arabia brings substantial economic resources and regional influence, while NATO member Turkey has a large military and an increasingly sophisticated domestic defence industry.
In Islamabad, defence analysts cautioned against viewing the agreement as the equivalent of NATO, despite its collective-defence provision. Abdullah Khan, an Islamabad-based defence analyst, said that although the agreement was signed during a period of heightened regional tensions, it should not be interpreted as being directed against Iran or another country.
AP reported that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close military ties for decades and signed a separate mutual-defence agreement in September 2025. Pakistan and Turkey have also expanded their military and defence-industrial cooperation in recent years.
The new pact comes as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan seek to deepen security cooperation amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
