Pakistan-Saudi-Turkiye defence pact has no regional ambitions, says DG ISPR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s newly formed defence partnership with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye is strictly defensive and carries no regional expansionist ambitions, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said.

Speaking in an interview with Al Arabiya English’s Global News Today, the military spokesperson described the Makkah Defence Alliance as a framework for collective deterrence and defence, stressing that it was not designed to compete with existing alliances or relationships maintained by its three members.

The agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye was signed in Makkah on August 7. Under the publicly announced arrangement, an attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all three countries.

Asked whether the pact represented a broader strategic alliance, Lt Gen Chaudhry said its character was clear from its name and purpose.

“It is defensive. There’s nothing aggressive. There are no regional aspirations. It is collective deterrence,” he said.

He explained that the agreement was also complementary because Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye each maintain independent relationships with other countries and international blocs.

The interviewer also questioned whether the pact contained a mutual defence obligation and how Pakistan would respond if another member came under attack.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said the publicly released text clearly outlined the commitment, while the operational details of any military response would remain classified.

He noted that countries generally do not publicly disclose the specific mechanisms through which defensive agreements would be implemented during a crisis.

Pact not aimed at China

Addressing questions about Pakistan’s relationship with China, the DG ISPR said the new defence arrangement should not be viewed as competing with Islamabad-Beijing ties.

He said Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye were longstanding and that China understood the historical nature of those relationships.

According to the military spokesperson, all three countries involved in the new arrangement also have strong relations with China, reinforcing Islamabad’s position that the alliance is complementary rather than directed against another country.

He further described regional stability and peace as central objectives of the agreement.

Is the alliance open to other countries?

The possibility of expanding the alliance has attracted attention since its creation, particularly after Turkiye suggested that Egypt could potentially join. Cairo, however, has not confirmed any decision to become part of the arrangement.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said the agreement was not specifically established as a Muslim-world alliance.

“It is not a club that is being made for only Muslim countries,” he said, adding that potential expansion would ultimately be decided by the leadership of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

He said willing countries could potentially be included if they shared principles of non-aggression, non-interference, regional peace and collective deterrence.

Pakistan initially assumed responsibility for the alliance’s secretariat for three years after its inaugural meeting in Istanbul on August 31.

However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has indicated that expansion is not currently under consideration. Officials have said the three founding members first need to consolidate the new organisation before considering additional partners.

The latest comments from the DG ISPR therefore underline Islamabad’s stated position that the Makkah Defence Alliance is intended as a defensive security framework focused on deterrence, stability and mutual protection, rather than a bloc seeking wider regional confrontation.