ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has revealed that six countries have expressed interest in joining the Makkah Defence Pact Agreement. However, Dar did not disclose the names of the countries seeking membership, saying their requests could not be processed immediately.
Speaking about the agreement, Dar explained that its secretariat must first become fully operational before membership applications can be formally considered. He said requests from interested countries would then be examined through the mechanism agreed by the founding members.
The Makkah Joint Defence Pact Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on August 7. The pact establishes a mutual defence framework under which an armed attack against one member would be treated as an attack against all three countries. Dar stressed that the agreement is defensive in nature and does not have an offensive purpose.
The agreement also provides a mechanism for other countries to join the framework, subject to the procedures set out in the pact. The reported interest from six countries therefore comes as the three founding members work to establish the agreement’s institutional structure and operational arrangements.
Pakistan is also preparing for a meeting of the agreement’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee, known as the SPDC. The meeting is expected to be held in Riyadh in the coming days, with regional security developments likely to be among the main topics of discussion. Saudi Arabia’s security concerns are also expected to receive attention during the talks.
Dar also spoke about his recent discussions with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to Dar, Araghchi conveyed that Tehran was not involved with Yemen’s Houthi movement or armed groups operating in Iraq. Dar said he reminded the Iranian foreign minister that Pakistan had commitments under the defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
He added that Pakistan would honour its commitments under the pact. At the same time, Araghchi reportedly proposed political engagement with the Houthis and Iraqi armed groups as a way of addressing regional tensions through political channels rather than military action.
Dar clarified that the proposal has not been adopted by the alliance and would need to be discussed by the SPDC. The upcoming meeting in Riyadh is therefore expected to provide an opportunity for the three founding members to review regional developments and discuss possible responses.
In other news read more about Makkah Agreement: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye Discuss Defence
The reported interest from six countries could eventually expand the Makkah Defence Agreement beyond its three founding members. For now, however, the countries have not been publicly identified, and their requests cannot be formally processed until the agreement’s secretariat becomes operational.
