Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye to consolidate defence pact: FO spokesperson

Pakistan’s Foreign Office has described the Makkah Defence Alliance with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye as a defensive arrangement focused on regional security and deterrence, saying there are currently no plans to expand its membership.

FO spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan made the remarks during a weekly briefing on Thursday, saying the three countries were still working to strengthen cooperation under the agreement.

He said the alliance was in its early stages and that discussions were underway on its structure, procedures and operational mechanisms. Any decision about expanding the grouping would be considered at a later stage.

“At this stage, there are no discussions regarding the expansion of the Makkah agreement,” Khan said.

He added that the pact could eventually be opened to countries that share similar positions and strategic perspectives, once the three founding members had consolidated their cooperation.

The agreement was signed on August 7 by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye with the objective of strengthening collective deterrence. Under the pact, an attack on one member is to be treated as an attack on all three.

The alliance held its first meeting in Istanbul on August 31. The meeting agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia, led initially by a Pakistani secretary general for three years.

Khan said further meetings and developments would be announced as consultations progress.

The spokesperson also strongly criticised the demolition of Muslim places of worship in India, describing the incidents as systematic and state-sanctioned.

He said Pakistan was deeply concerned over the demolition of Islamic sites, including a mosque in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and called on the international community to take notice of what he termed the persecution of Muslims and destruction of their religious heritage.

Khan said such actions violated the 1950 Liaquat-Nehru Pact, which provides protections for religious minorities. He also referred to India’s Places of Worship Act, 1991, which seeks to preserve the religious character of places of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.

He cited several historic Muslim worship sites that Pakistan says have faced demolition threats or legal action and recalled the demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992 as a lasting example of religious intolerance.

Responding to an Indian statement concerning damage to a Hindu temple in Narowal, Khan rejected New Delhi’s claim that the structure had been deliberately damaged. He said the damage occurred because of torrential rains.

The FO spokesperson also criticised India’s handling of the case against jailed Kashmiri leader Muhammad Yasin Malik.

Malik, chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, was recently named among five people charged by India’s State Investigation Agency in connection with the 1990 killing of Sarla Bhat. Malik has submitted an affidavit saying he will not contest the trial, while making clear that the decision should not be interpreted as an admission of guilt.

Khan described Malik’s decision as a serious indictment of India’s judicial system and accused New Delhi of using legal proceedings to suppress Kashmiri leadership.

He also expressed concern over Malik’s reported deteriorating health and urged the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations to take notice of his situation.