Says meeting between representatives of Makkah pact and Iran aimed at establishing framework for de-escalation
Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, October 30, 2026. Photo: Reuters
Pakistan is ready to take “all necessary defensive measures” to protect Saudi Arabia amid regional tensions, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said, stressing that Islamabad’s commitment to the Kingdom’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity “is absolute and non-negotiable”.
“Pakistan is ready, in light of current circumstances and based on the Joint Strategic Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and the Makkah Alliance, to take all necessary defensive measures to defend the Kingdom,” said Chaudhry in an interview with a Saudi newspaper on Wednesday.
He said the transition of the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance into the practical implementation phase of its collective defence commitments would require measures to ensure the rapid deployment of agreed forces and military capabilities inside Saudi Arabia.
These measures include raising readiness levels, strengthening military integration, sharing intelligence and coordinating exclusively defensive operations, he said.
Chaudhry said Pakistan’s readiness was guided by the current circumstances, the Joint Strategic Defence Agreement between Islamabad and Riyadh, and the commitments under the Makkah Alliance.
Speaking about military presence in Saudi Arabia, the DG ISPR said Pakistani troops were already stationed in the Kingdom, where they performed various duties, primarily providing defensive support and participating in exercises and military manoeuvres.
He said Islamabad would continue to provide the required support for defensive purposes, including military personnel, capabilities, training and logistical assistance.
Asked whether Pakistan would reinforce its military presence or provide additional capabilities, including air and missile defence systems and intelligence-sharing support, Chaudhry said the necessary assistance would continue to be provided.
He did not disclose specific details, saying military alliances did not make public troop numbers, deployment locations or operational arrangements.
Chaudhry told Asharq Al-Awsat that the move towards implementing the Makkah Alliance’s commitments followed recent attacks targeting Saudi Arabia.
He reiterated Pakistan’s condemnation of strikes on airports, cities and civilian and economic infrastructure, saying they posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, while also endangering regional stability and civilian safety.
The attacks were a matter of deep concern for Pakistan, he said, adding that “the security of Saudi Arabia and the Two Holy Mosques is a top, non-negotiable priority”.
The military spokesperson also called for restraint, de-escalation and diplomatic engagement, warning that further escalation would serve no party’s interests.
On diplomatic efforts, Chaudhry said a meeting between representatives of the Makkah Joint Defense Alliance and Iran in Tehran on October 26 was aimed at establishing a framework for de-escalation and strengthening regional cooperation.
He said the participation of Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir in the meeting, following his visit to Tehran days earlier, reflected Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and the peaceful resolution of regional disputes.
Participants had agreed to “continue dialogue to enhance cooperation among the four countries and contribute to achieving peace and stability in the region”, he said, without disclosing further details of any agreements.
Explaining the distinction between the Joint Strategic Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, announced in September last year, and the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, announced in August, Chaudhry said the two arrangements served different purposes.
“The bilateral agreement provided a framework for defence cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh, reflecting their longstanding partnership and establishing a structure for mutual support in the event of aggression,” he said.
Chaudhry said under the agreement, the two countries aimed to deepen their strategic partnership, strengthen mutual security and continue practical defence cooperation to protect their sovereignty and vital interests.
“The Makkah Joint Defence Alliance, meanwhile, was a trilateral arrangement bringing together Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, with mechanisms for collective defence, joint readiness and coordination,” he said.
Both arrangements were “purely defensive in nature”, Chaudhry stressed, adding that neither involved offensive intentions against any country.
Looking ahead, he said the three countries aimed to strengthen collective deterrence, deepen military integration and consolidate regional stability.
Makkah Defence Agreement
On August 7, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye formalised their longstanding strategic relationship through the newly signed Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), a trilateral security framework that its proponents describe as a defensive arrangement aimed at strengthening collective deterrence, enhancing military cooperation and promoting regional stability.
The MJDA was the latest step in longstanding military and strategic cooperation between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. Signed in Makkah, the pact established a framework for collective deterrence and stipulated that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all three, while providing for wider cooperation across defence.
The agreement followed nearly a year of negotiations and came amid heightened instability across the Middle East. Turkiye and Pakistan had sought closer regional security cooperation, while Saudi Arabia had faced growing security concerns as conflicts spread across the region, threatening its territory, energy infrastructure and ambitious economic development plans.
For Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the trilateral pact is built on their Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed in September 2025. That agreement stated that “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both” and committed the two sides to strengthening defence cooperation and joint deterrence.
The three countries already had extensive military links. Pakistan had provided training and technical assistance to Saudi forces for decades, while Islamabad and Ankara had maintained close defence ties through military training, naval cooperation and defence equipment. In 2023, Saudi Arabia agreed to purchase Turkish drones in what Ankara described as its largest defence export contract.
Pakistan had also expanded its military and security cooperation with the kingdom, deploying about 8,000 troops, fighter jets, drones and an air-defence system to Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters. Pakistan deploys troops to Saudi air base under defence pact. Islamabad had also been pursuing wider security and economic ties in the Gulf, including negotiations with Kuwait on an expanded cooperation pact linked to energy and investment. Pakistan-Kuwait agree to boost cooperation across key sectors
The signing in Makkah, Islam’s holiest city, added symbolic weight to an agreement that brought together three countries with significant military and strategic capabilities. It also came as Pakistan sought to avoid becoming directly involved in the Iran conflict, instead pursuing diplomatic efforts to mediate, while strengthening its broader regional security partnerships.
