ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, military chief and defense minister attended the inaugural meeting of a committee established under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement (MJDA) in Istanbul on Monday, with senior officials from Saudi Arabia and Türkiye also attending.
The first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee, established under the MJDA, is underway in Istanbul. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir are attending the meeting.
Türkiye’s National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Chief of the General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu are present in the meeting. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is leading the Saudi delegation.
“DPM Ishaq Dar attended the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee, established under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, alongside Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, with their Turkish and Saudi counterparts, in Istanbul today,’ the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia signed the MJDA in Makkah earlier this month. The pact stipulates that an attack on one country will be considered an attack against all three, as regional tensions surge amid the United States (US) and Iran war.
The pact states that an attack against one country will be treated as an act of aggression against all three, formalizing decades of security cooperation between Pakistan and its two allies.
The defense agreement brings together three regional powers who each bring their own unique strengths to the alliance. Pakistan remains the only Muslim country that possesses nuclear weapons while Türkiye is an important member of the NATO alliance. Saudi Arabia is an economic powerhouse that enjoys considerable influence in the Gulf region and beyond.
According to Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency, the Strategic Political and Defense Committee was envisaged to provide strategic direction for activities to be carried out under the trilateral pact.
“The meeting is expected to address international security issues, as well as efforts to develop defense capabilities and promote greater interoperability among the armed forces of the three countries,” Anadolu reported on Sunday.
It said the three states are also expected to discuss deepening defense industry cooperation, including joint production and research and development, as well as strengthening joint counterterrorism efforts.
