Attack on one, defence of all: Makkah pact
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have signed a joint defence agreement aimed at strengthening collective security and defence capabilities among the three countries.
According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, the agreement was signed during a trilateral joint defence summit held in Makkah.
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the agreement.
Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack against all three.
The Foreign Office said the agreement is aimed at strengthening the three countries’ collective defence capabilities against any act of aggression.
The development came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Makkah. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and other members of the Pakistani delegation also attended the meeting.
The leaders discussed the regional situation and ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, a trilateral summit involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye was scheduled to take place in Jeddah, with expectations of important developments concerning regional peace and security.
According to Turkish media reports, the three countries were set to sign an agreement concerning regional security during the summit. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also arrived in Saudi Arabia to participate in the high-level meeting.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had arrived in Saudi Arabia a day earlier at the invitation of the Saudi Crown Prince.
During their visit, the Pakistani delegation also performed Umrah and offered prayers at the Holy Kaaba.