Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Ratify Makkah Joint Defence Agreement

Islamabad: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have completed ratification of the Makkah joint defence agreement, the Foreign Office confirmed on Friday, while Turkiye is still taking the pact through its parliament. The agreement was signed on August 7 by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
Sixteen articles, “no hidden provisions”
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told the weekly briefing that the pact contains sixteen articles and “no hidden provisions”, adding that the text stands endorsed as released by the Turkish parliament. Under Article 2, an attack on any one of the three countries is treated as an attack on all three — a collective-defence clause. Turkiye tabled the agreement in its parliament on October 20.
Rapid force deployment
The alliance is moving to deploy agreed forces in Saudi Arabia quickly, following the decisions of the October 5 meeting. Islamabad reiterated its support for Riyadh’s security amid Houthi attacks and urged a negotiated peace in Yemen.
The Makkah agreement is separate from the Badr pact concluded in Doha — the Badr arrangement brings together Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and Indonesia, while the Makkah pact is signed with Saudi Arabia.