President Asif Ali Zardari has reaffirmed that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is intended for defensive cooperation and is not directed against another country.
The president made the statement during an October 13 meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr with retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood, who has been appointed the agreement’s first secretary-general.
According to the Presidency, Mahmood will head the alliance’s general secretariat, which is being established in Riyadh.
The agreement was signed by Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia on August 7, 2026.
Zardari said the arrangement was intended to contribute to regional peace and stability through cooperation consistent with the United Nations Charter and international law.
He also said the agreement should not be interpreted as the creation of a new geopolitical bloc.
The meeting took place against a backdrop of heightened regional security concerns, although the official statement did not announce a new military operation, deployment or expansion of the agreement’s membership.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also attended the meeting.
The president’s remarks clarify Pakistan’s stated position on the agreement; they do not constitute a new defence treaty.
Pakistan Report Illustration — Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye’s cooperation under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.