DG ISPR Says Makkah Defence Pact Is Defensive, Focused on Deterrence

RAWALPINDI: Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has described the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye as a defensive arrangement designed around collective deterrence rather than competition with existing international alliances. His remarks came during an interview released as regional security tensions continue to draw attention to the three-country framework.

The military spokesperson said the agreement should not be interpreted as an offensive bloc or as a mechanism intended to interfere in the affairs of other states. He presented the framework as complementary to the separate diplomatic and security relationships maintained by each participating country, saying its central purpose was regional peace, stability and deterrence against aggression.

Asked how the three states would respond if one of them came under attack, Chaudhry said operational details concerning the implementation of their defence commitments had not been made public. He indicated that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye would jointly determine an appropriate course of action depending on the circumstances rather than relying on a publicly disclosed automatic military formula.

The spokesperson also addressed questions about whether the arrangement could affect Pakistan's established relationships with other major partners, including China. He said the agreement was intended to complement existing ties rather than compete with them, arguing that Pakistan's long-standing relationships with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye were well understood internationally and were now being given a more formal security structure.

Chaudhry rejected characterisations of the pact as an exclusively religious alliance. He said participation was linked instead to a shared approach toward non-aggression, non-interference, collective deterrence and regional stability. Any decision about admitting additional partners, he added, would rest with the leadership of the three current member states.

His comments come as Pakistan faces growing scrutiny over how its defence partnerships could operate during periods of heightened tension in the Middle East. The distinction between collective deterrence and automatic military involvement is particularly significant because Islamabad maintains political, economic and security relationships with a wide range of regional and global actors. The military spokesperson's remarks indicate that the government and armed forces are presenting the pact as compatible with those wider relationships.

Chaudhry also discussed Pakistan's diplomatic role in efforts to reduce wider regional tensions. He said Islamabad favoured dialogue and a negotiated settlement to conflicts and argued that Pakistan's engagement with multiple countries allowed it to support mediation. Those comments reflect Pakistan's stated effort to maintain communication with different sides while avoiding an expansion of regional hostilities.

Further details about how the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement would operate during a specific security crisis remain undisclosed. The next significant developments are therefore likely to depend on consultations among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, any decisions on expanding the framework, and whether regional events require the three governments to clarify how their collective-defence commitments would be implemented in practice.