FO Says Makkah Defence Pact Focused on Regional Security

Pakistan's Foreign Office has said the Makkah Defence Pact is focused on regional security and collective deterrence, while Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye continue work on the institutional shape of the three-country framework.

The clarification comes as the agreement receives fresh attention after recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and wider debate over whether the pact could be activated in response to threats against one of its members.

Foreign Office position

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan, according to the user-provided editorial draft, told a weekly briefing that the alliance is still in an early phase and that the three countries are holding consultations at different levels to finalise structures, procedures and institutional arrangements.

He said there are no formal plans at this stage to expand the three-member arrangement. The pact may remain open to countries with similar views in the future, but the current priority is to consolidate coordination among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

That point is important because the agreement has drawn regional attention since it was signed in Makkah on August 7. Islamabad has repeatedly described it as defensive, not as a bloc aimed at any particular country.

What the agreement says

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement says an armed attack against one signatory will be regarded as an attack against all three. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have presented that language as a collective deterrence mechanism designed to strengthen security cooperation.

The Foreign Office joint statement issued after an Istanbul meeting on August 31 said the three countries would work together to support sustainable peace and stability. It also said they would encourage de-escalation, restraint and peaceful resolution of crises.

The statement announced that a secretariat would be established in Saudi Arabia to support the agreement's implementation. It also said the first secretary-general would come from Pakistan for a three-year period.

Why expansion is not immediate

The Foreign Office's latest explanation suggests that enlargement is not the first priority. Before adding other members, the three countries need to define how consultations will happen, how the secretariat will operate, and how political and defence coordination will be managed.

That is a practical issue. A pact with collective defence language needs procedures, not only public statements. Governments must decide how information is shared, who convenes meetings, how threats are assessed, and how each country protects its sovereign decision-making.

Pakistan's position appears to be that the agreement can remain open in principle while still taking time to mature. That gives Islamabad space to reassure neighbours and partners that the arrangement is defensive and procedural, not an immediate military expansion.

Regional security context

The pact has taken shape during a volatile period in the Gulf and wider Middle East. Maritime security risks, Houthi attacks, tensions involving Iran and the United States, and threats to energy infrastructure have all made regional governments more sensitive to collective security arrangements.

Pakistan has tried to present its role as one of deterrence and diplomacy. Officials have said the country supports Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and security, while also calling for restraint and peaceful resolution of conflicts.

The Ministry of Information previously quoted Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as saying the agreement is purely defensive and consistent with Article 51 of the UN Charter. That framing is meant to show that the pact is tied to recognised principles of self-defence.

Other issues at the briefing

The Foreign Office briefing also touched on religious sites and human rights issues involving India and Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The spokesperson expressed concern over reports about the demolition of Muslim places of worship in India and referred to Pakistan's position on protections for religious minorities.

He also commented on the case of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chief Muhammad Yasin Malik, saying Pakistan remained concerned about his health and legal situation.

Those remarks placed the Makkah pact within a broader diplomatic briefing rather than a single-issue security announcement. Still, the defence agreement remained the main regional security item because of the recent attention around its possible activation.

What comes next

The next test for the pact will be institutional. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye will need to show how the secretariat, consultations and defence coordination mechanisms work in practice.

Any future expansion would likely depend on whether the three founding members first build a reliable process. For now, Islamabad's message is that the pact is a defensive regional security framework, still being shaped, and not a vehicle for immediate enlargement.

That careful wording gives Pakistan room to support collective deterrence with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye while continuing to argue that regional crises should be handled through restraint, dialogue and structured cooperation.