ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated on Tuesday that Pakistan’s trilateral defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye is not against any country, rather it seeks to promote peace and progress.
Pakistan signed a trilateral defense pact, formally known as the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye last Friday in Makkah. The pact stipulates that an attack on one country will be considered an attack against all three.
Pakistan has subsequently clarified that the pact is not against any one country and remains open to other nations in the region.
“I would like to say here today once again, without fear of contradiction, that this defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye has not been done against any country,” Sharif said at an event held to mark National Minorities Day.
“This agreement is for promoting peace. This agreement is for promoting progress and prosperity,” the premier added.
The prime minister said that given the volatile situation in the Gulf region, everyone should hope that all three countries together will bring an end to the regional tensions and help establish peace in the region.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also clarified last week that the trilateral defense agreement is “purely defensive in nature” and that other countries could join if they were willing to uphold its principles and resolve differences through peaceful means.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan similarly said on Saturday that the agreement is not aimed at Iran or any other country.
The three countries bring significant but differing capabilities to the arrangement. Pakistan has extensive military experience and is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-armed country; Saudi Arabia brings substantial economic resources and regional influence; and NATO member Türkiye has a large military and an increasingly sophisticated domestic defense industry.
The pact was signed by Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid regional tensions involving the United States and Iran.
The two countries have exchanged attacks since February, when the US and Israel launched joint attacks against Iran. Tehran has retaliated by targeting civilian infrastructure and US forces in the Gulf region.
