ISLAMABAD: Thousands of people gathered at Islamabad’s New Blue Area on Sunday night to celebrate the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, as the capital’s skyline lit up with a spectacular fireworks display.
Families, students and young people crowded the New Blue Area, waving Pakistan’s flags and chanting slogans in favor of Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Islamabad’s district administration and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) organized the event to mark the signing of the joint defense pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on Friday.
The leaders of the three nations signed the defense pact in Makkah. The agreement stipulates that an armed attack against any one country will be treated as an attack against all three.
Various buildings in the area were illuminated with the flags of Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, as the sound of music filled the air. As the evening drew to a close, fireworks erupted over the capital, lighting up the night sky as thousands held their cellphones to record the moment.
“We were already all together before, but now we support Saudi Arabia and Türkiye even more,” Anaya, an O-levels student, told Arab News.
“Whatever happens, we will stand together. Pakistan is with Türkiye, and Türkiye is also with us. And, yes, Saudi Arabia is like our second home.”
Muzammil Amir, a cadet at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, described it as the “biggest achievment” for all three nations.
“The three most powerful Muslim nations has signed the agreement,” Amir noted. “No country of the world will dare to attack any of these states.”
’GREAT COMBINATION’
Another student, Muhammad Ehtasham Amjad, said Saudi Arabia has played a “pivotal” role throughout Pakistan’s history. He said the Kingdom has supported Pakistan through its economic challenges over the years and is important for Islamabad as an oil exporter.
“As far as Pakistan is concerned, we are a nuclear power. And as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned, they are an economic giant,” Amjad said. “So all of them together are going to make a great sort of combination.”
Mughal noted that the fireworks had made the occasion even more festive for the people gathered at the venue.
“We will remember this agreement for the rest of our lives,” he said. “It will remain a lasting memory, something that we will look back on throughout our lives with great happiness.”
