Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye was “purely defensive in nature” and was not aimed at any country.
Dar’s remarks came amid growing discussion over the scope of the trilateral pact, signed in Makkah on Friday to strengthen collective security and defence cooperation among the three countries.
Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three signatories would be considered an attack against all, establishing a mutual-defence framework between Islamabad, Riyadh and Ankara.
In a post on X, Dar said the agreement’s sole objective was to support peace, stability and prosperity across the wider region.
He described the accord as reflecting the longstanding ties between the governments and peoples of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, stressing that it should not be interpreted as being directed against any other state.
Dar said the agreement followed years of discussions and coordination among the three countries and reflected their shared desire to deepen strategic cooperation in addressing regional peace and security challenges.
The trilateral agreement builds on the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025, which also included a commitment to regard an attack on either country as an attack on both.