After signing trilateral defence pact, PM Shehbaz departs Saudi Arabia for Pakistan

WEB DESK: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif departed from Madinah for Pakistan on August 8, concluding his visit to Saudi Arabia, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). He was seen off at Madinah Airport by Governor of Madinah Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, along with the accompanying Pakistani delegation.

During the visit, PM Shehbaz, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the ‘Makkah Joint Defence Agreement‘, which the PMO said would add new dimensions to defence cooperation and fraternal relations among the three countries.

The prime minister also performed Umrah during his stay and paid his respects at the sacred chamber of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Masjid-e-Nabvi. He was accompanied on the visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Syed Tariq Fatemi.

‘Makkah Joint Defence Agreement’

Pakistan’s Foreign Office described the ‘Makkah joint Defence Agreement’ as a landmark initiative to strengthen collective security, defence cooperation, and regional peace and stability.

The agreement was signed at the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence, held at Al-Safa Palace under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The summit brought together PM Shehbaz, Erdogan and the crown prince, who reviewed the three countries’ longstanding ties and discussed issues of mutual interest before signing the accord.

According to the Foreign Office, the pact is rooted in historical relations, Islamic solidarity and existing defence cooperation among the three states. It aims to strengthen collective deterrence, stipulating that an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all three. It also provides for expanding cooperation across all areas of defence.

FO had earlier described PM Shehbaz’s visit to Saudi Arabia as another milestone in Pakistan-Saudi relations, adding significance amid heightened Gulf tensions.

Reuters said the agreement follows nearly a year of negotiations amid regional instability following the Iran-US-Israel conflict, with all three countries sharing concerns over the deteriorating Middle East security situation. Turkey has NATO’s second-largest military, Saudi Arabia is the Arab world’s leading military and economic power, and Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim country.

The pact builds on decades of cooperation, Pakistan has long provided military training to Saudi Arabia, while Turkey and Pakistan have expanded naval, aerospace and defence-industrial collaboration. Saudi Arabia signed its largest-ever Turkish defence deal in 2023 for armed drones. The agreement marks one of the most significant trilateral security initiatives among the three countries in recent years.