Pakistan said on Wednesday that its new Makkah Joint Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye was designed to deter conflict and promote stability well beyond the three signatory states, as the alliance enters its implementation phase amid renewed tensions across the Middle East.
Signed on August 7, the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement commits Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye to collective action against aggression, treating an armed attack against any one member as an attack against all three. The pact moved into its implementation phase this week, with the first meeting of its Strategic Political and Defense Committee held in Istanbul on August 31. Pakistan has repeatedly stressed that the agreement is defensive in nature and is not directed against any particular country.
Pakistan Saudi Arabia Turkiye Defense Pact Framed as a Stabilizing Force
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told reporters at his weekly briefing that the alliance was essentially a framework for defense. He said that while the Pakistan Saudi Arabia Turkiye defense pact naturally served the interests of the three countries involved, it was also tailored toward maintaining and improving peace, prosperity and regional stability, and toward reducing the prospects of war in the region more broadly.
Andrabi added that Pakistan intended to continue honoring its commitments under the agreement in that same spirit, describing it as being in the collective interest of the wider region rather than a narrow bilateral or trilateral arrangement. Asked whether other countries such as Kuwait or Bahrain might eventually join the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, Andrabi said Pakistan was not aware of any specific request at present, but noted that any future application would be examined jointly and in close consultation with partners in Riyadh and Ankara. He also confirmed that Pakistan would be responsible for selecting the alliance’s secretary-general, with an announcement to follow in due course.
Regional Stability Middle East Concerns Amid US-Iran Tensions
Beyond the defense pact itself, Andrabi said Pakistan remained actively engaged in efforts to ease renewed tensions between the United States and Iran and to bring both sides back to the negotiating table. He said that despite recent escalations, Islamabad remained hopeful and would continue to push for dialogue and diplomacy as the preferred path forward for regional stability across the Middle East.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed the evolving regional situation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, according to Andrabi, reiterating Pakistan’s support for restraint and diplomatic engagement. Andrabi noted that the understanding reached under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding continued to offer the most viable pathway toward lasting peace and stability in the region, a framework Pakistan helped broker as part of its mediation between Washington and Tehran following their earlier conflict.
Diplomatic Efforts Continue Alongside the Defense Pact
Andrabi also pointed to Field Marshal Asim Munir’s recent visit to Tehran as part of Islamabad’s broader diplomatic push, with discussions there focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, encouraging regional de-escalation, breaking the prevailing military stalemate and exploring a negotiated settlement between the two sides. He said the visit reflected Islamabad’s sincere and constructive role in bridging differences between Washington and Tehran, and added that it had generated further diplomatic momentum, reflected in subsequent visits by leadership from Oman and Qatar.
On the question of fresh US economic sanctions on Iran and warnings issued to countries trading with Tehran, Andrabi said Pakistan was carefully assessing the potential impact of these measures in coordination with the Ministry of Commerce. He reiterated that the current situation called for sustained dialogue rather than confrontation, a position consistent with Pakistan’s stated approach to the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement as a tool for deterrence rather than escalation. Taken together, Pakistan’s messaging this week sought to present both the new defense pact and its parallel diplomatic efforts as complementary strands of the same broader goal, namely reducing the risk of wider conflict and reinforcing long term regional stability across the Middle East.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, September 3rd, 2026
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