Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are set to hold the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Istanbul today. The Foreign Office confirmed the development on Sunday, stating that the inaugural session will take place in the Turkish city.
Pakistan will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir. The meeting will also include the foreign ministers, defence ministers and chiefs of general staff from both Turkiye and Saudi Arabia.
The three countries signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7 in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. The pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression. It treats an armed attack on any one of the three as an attack on all, similar to the collective defence principle followed by other major alliances.
Discussions during the Istanbul meeting are expected to focus on international security issues, enhancing defence capabilities, improving interoperability among the armed forces, and deepening cooperation in the defence industry. Officials will also explore joint production and development projects.
Field Marshal Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Turkiye on Sunday ahead of the talks. Dar was received by senior Turkish officials and Pakistan’s ambassador upon his arrival in Istanbul.
The agreement comes at a time when regional powers are seeking stronger security coordination. Turkish President Erdogan has described the pact as a step that targets no country and remains open to other brotherly nations interested in regional peace and stability. He noted that it will help advance security and defence cooperation, support joint defence industry projects, and strengthen the fight against terrorism while upholding the right of self defence under the UN Charter.
The formation of this committee marks an important step in turning the political commitment of the Makkah agreement into practical coordination. The three nations aim to build a more effective framework for mutual support and shared defence interests through regular high level engagement.
