Pakistan ratifies Mecca defense pact with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia

Ratification completed

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan announced on Friday that Islamabad has completed ratification of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, formalizing the tripartite security pact signed in August. The defense agreement reflects the three nations' shared commitment to strengthening collective defense and developing regional solutions to regional challenges, Khan said during a news conference in the capital.

"Matters related to the agreement, its ratification, and operationalization remain under discussion by the three parties including in the Strategic Political and Defense Committee whose recent meeting was held on 5 October," Khan said, adding that each country follows its own constitutional and legal procedures for the approval of international agreements. Saudi Arabia has also completed its ratification processes, he noted.

UN Charter alignment

The spokesperson emphasized that Islamabad "remains fully committed to the letter and spirit of the agreement, which is defensive in nature, consistent with the UN Charter, and aimed at promoting regional peace, security and stability." The accord establishes a framework for Pakistan, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia to coordinate defense policies and address shared security challenges through joint mechanisms rather than offensive operations.

Mecca summit follow-up

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman signed the agreement on Aug. 7 in Mecca during a high-level summit focused on deepening security ties. The Strategic Political and Defense Committee convened its most recent meeting on Oct. 5 to discuss operationalization of the pact, with technical discussions on implementation timelines continuing among defense officials from all three nations.