Islamabad: Significant progress has been made in the implementation of the Mecca Joint Defence Pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and Lt Gen (retd) Noman Mahmood has been given the responsibility of the first Secretary General under the pact.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the secretariat to be set up under the pact will be in Saudi Arabia and will initially be headed by a Secretary General from Pakistan. The three countries had decided on this arrangement as an important step to advance the institutional structure of the pact.
Under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have agreed to bring defence and security cooperation into a formal framework. The three countries signed the agreement in Mecca on August 7, 2026.
According to the agreement, an armed attack on one of the parties will be considered an attack on all three countries. According to the Foreign Ministry, its main objective is to strengthen collective defence capacity and deterrence and increase cooperation for peace and stability in the region.
The first Strategic Political and Defence Committee meeting to give practical form to the agreement was held in Istanbul on August 31. The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers, defence ministers and senior military officials of the three countries.
The joint statement of the meeting said that the three countries will further institutionalise cooperation under the Mecca Agreement. For this purpose, a secretariat will be established in Saudi Arabia, which will be initially headed by a Secretary-General from Pakistan for a period of three years.
The three countries have also agreed to enhance cooperation in various fields, including the defence industry and joint technology development and production. Along with this, joint activities to strengthen the capabilities of the armed forces and mutual contacts have also been discussed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clarified that the Mecca Defence Agreement is defensive in nature and not against any specific country. According to Pakistan, the agreement is formed to strengthen regional peace and stability and increase collective deterrence against potential threats.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, further meetings under the agreement will be held alternately in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Through these meetings, new institutional mechanisms and various aspects of cooperation will be further strengthened.
The Mecca Defence Agreement is an attempt to bring the existing defence ties between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey into a common framework. Its institutional structure, mutual cooperation and defence coordination will be further clarified in the next phase.
We welcome your contributions to The Pakistan Observer. Submit your blogs, opinion pieces, press releases and news features to our editorial team.
Please send your submissions to our News Desk or Editorial team. We look forward to hearing from writers, journalists and contributors.
