PM Shehbaz says Pak-Saudi-Turkiye defence pact is for peace

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the newly signed defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye is strictly defensive in nature.

He said the pact is not intended to promote aggression or create tensions in the region.

The prime minister made the remarks while addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet on Monday.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 in Makkah. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation among the three countries in the field of defence and security.

Under the pact, an attack against any one of the three signatories would be treated as an attack against all three. The arrangement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence and improve coordination among the countries.

PM Shehbaz said the main objective of the agreement was to promote peace, stability, progress and prosperity across the region.

He stressed that the agreement should not be viewed as a preparation for military aggression.

The prime minister described the pact as a source of strength for Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. He also said its benefits could extend to the wider Muslim world.

Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for their role in the agreement.

He said discussions on stronger defence cooperation between the countries had continued for several years before the latest agreement was finalised.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had already signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025. The prime minister said Pakistan and Turkiye had also maintained defence and security arrangements for decades.

Shehbaz highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia. He recalled that Pakistani personnel had served alongside Saudi forces in protecting the holy cities of Makkah and Madina.

He said the latest trilateral agreement builds on those longstanding ties and provides a broader framework for cooperation.

The agreement has also received attention across the Muslim world. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation described it as an important strategic development.

Several countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Somalia, have welcomed the agreement.

Iran has also responded in a relatively positive tone. Tehran reiterated its preference for regional security arrangements based on cooperation among countries in the region.

The agreement comes amid growing security concerns across the Middle East and wider region. Its signatories have presented the pact as a mechanism for collective defence rather than an offensive alliance.

The Pakistani government has maintained that the arrangement is aimed at strengthening regional stability and protecting the sovereignty and security of its members.