ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar revealed that at least six countries are interested in joining the Makkah Defence Agreement, although he did not reveal their names.
He said Islamabad could not immediately process membership requests because the agreement’s secretariat still needs to become fully operational.
Makkah Joint Defence 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 is treated as an attack against all three.
Dar said the agreement is explicitly defensive in nature, and said the document states that the pact has no offensive purpose while also allowing other countries to join it.
The upcoming Riyadh meeting is expected to assess the regional situation and Saudi Arabia’s security concerns before the three countries determine their next steps.
He also shared details on KSA situation, saying Iran distanced itself from Yemen’s Houthis and armed groups in Iraq, as Islamabad prepares for a key meeting of the Makkah Defence Agreement’s strategic committee in Saudi Arabia. He mentioned the escalating situation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who conveyed that Tehran had no involvement with either the Houthis or Iraqi armed groups.
Dar said he reminded the Iranian foreign minister that Pakistan is part of a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye and that Islamabad would honour its commitments under the pact.
According to Dar, Araghchi suggested that the Houthis and Iraqi groups should be engaged through political channels instead of military action. The proposal, however, has not been adopted as a decision by the alliance. Dar made clear that the matter would be discussed by the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) of the Makkah Defence Agreement, with the committee expected to meet in Riyadh in the coming days.
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