Pakistan foreign minister: Strategic defense committee to meet soon in Riyadh under Mecca Pact

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has announced that the Strategic Political Defense Committee, established under the Mecca Joint Defense Pact, will hold a meeting in Riyadh soon.

This comes as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey confirmed they have begun immediate work to turn the pact’s commitments into effective military cooperation. The announcement followed a meeting in Riyadh attended by the heads of defense forces and chiefs of staff from the signatory countries, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense. The three nations reaffirmed their shared determination to translate the Mecca Joint Defense Pact into practical steps in the military field.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the agreement on August 7, 2026, during a trilateral summit in Mecca attended by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

The pact followed years of discussions between Riyadh, Ankara, and Islamabad, aiming to unify efforts in facing security challenges and military threats, and to strengthen defense cooperation based on shared strategic interests and existing relations among the three countries.

A key provision of the agreement states that “any external armed attack targeting Saudi Arabia, Turkey, or Pakistan will be considered an attack against all three nations.”