Dar, Saudi and Turkish counterparts review progress on institutionalising tripartite defence pact

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar convened with his Saudi Arabian and Turkish counterparts for a review of the tripartite Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on Friday. The agreement, signed on August 7 between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, stipulates that an attack against one member state is considered an attack against all.

The inaugural meeting of the agreement took place on August 31 in Istanbul, where officials from all member states gathered to establish the alliance's institutional framework. Pakistan was selected to lead the secretariat of the alliance, based in Riyadh. During the meeting, Dar addressed the delegation in New York, stating in a post on social media platform X, "Under the framework of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), we reviewed progress towards establishing the institutional structures under the agreement and exchanged views on regional and international security issues."