Pakistan’s top military, diplomatic officials land in Turkiye for first Makkah pact meeting

Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar arrived separately in Turkiye on Sunday ahead of the inaugural meeting of a trilateral defence pact bringing together Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, set to take place Monday in Istanbul.

The Inter-Services Public Relations office confirmed in a brief evening statement that Munir arrived in Turkiye on an official visit, without providing further details on his itinerary. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said separately that Dar, who also serves as foreign minister, reached Istanbul after wrapping up an official visit to the United Kingdom.

Turkiye’s foreign ministry confirmed that the first session of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, the body created under the defence pact between the three countries, will convene in Istanbul on August 31. Turkish officials said their delegation will include Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of the Turkish General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office did not disclose specific details of Dar’s role in the talks, saying only that official engagements were on his schedule, while the Turkish ministry said officials from both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are expected to attend.

Upon arriving in Istanbul, Dar was welcomed by Turkish Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration Brigadier General Senol Varol, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkiye Dr Yousaf Junaid, Turkish foreign ministry Ambassador Cihad Erginay and other senior Turkish government officials, according to the Foreign Office. Dar later visited the shrine of Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari to pay his respects, offering prayers for the peace and prosperity of Pakistan and for greater unity within the Muslim community.

Turkiye’s Fidan had also invited Dar to a separate Regional 4 meeting in Istanbul, a grouping that includes Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and Dar had confirmed his participation in that gathering, according to the Foreign Office. The Regional 4 format emerged in March amid broader efforts to mediate tensions between the United States and Iran and has since focused on regional security cooperation.

The most recent Regional 4 meeting took place on August 5 in Amman, where participating ministers reaffirmed the importance of continued consultation and close coordination among the four countries in support of regional stability, the Foreign Office said. A prior meeting held in Cairo in June welcomed the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran, while the first two Regional 4 meetings, both held in March, took place in Riyadh and Islamabad respectively.

Dar’s stop in Turkiye followed the conclusion of what the Foreign Office described as a successful official visit to the United Kingdom, during which he met with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Minister of State for Pakistan Stephen Doughty, National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, International Maritime Organisation Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez and Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. While in Britain, Dar also met with parliamentarians of Pakistani origin and members of the Pakistani diaspora community.