Former AJK President and diplomat Sardar Masood Khan has termed the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye a “historic development” and a long-awaited collective defence mechanism for Muslim countries. According to Kashmir Media Service, in an interview with an Azerbaijani news agency, he said Muslim countries had aspired for decades to create such an arrangement.

The need became more urgent after Israel’s attack on Palestinian negotiators in Doha last year, which pushed Gulf states to seek effective deterrence.   He said the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025 became the nucleus of the pact, with Türkiye joining this year. Egypt has also expressed interest in joining. 

Sardar Masood Khan clarified that the Makkah Pact is purely defensive and not aimed at any specific country. “Its fundamental purpose is to ensure that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye are protected against aggression through collective deterrence,” he said.  Comparing it with NATO, he noted that while NATO has 32 members and offensive capabilities, the Makkah Pact is in its early stage with three members and focuses only on defence. He added that the US has welcomed the agreement. 

He said the pact has emerged amid instability in Gaza, the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and around the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. \Masood added that countries like Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain could join in future, giving the architecture broader regional reach.  “The principal objective is to strengthen deterrence while investing political capital in diplomacy, preventing wars and resolving conflicts peacefully. The signatories do not seek an arms race,” he stressed. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)