Pakistan finalizes Mecca pact with Turkey and Saudi Arabia amid Houthi strikes
Islamabad and Riyadh completed ratification procedures for the joint defence agreement, though Ankara is still processing domestic approvals.
By Thomas Obasi ·
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan confirmed on Friday that Pakistan has completed the legal steps to ratify the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. The announcement places the trilateral pact one step closer to full effect as Saudi Arabia faces renewed security threats from Yemen's Houthis.
Khan stated that Islamabad and Riyadh have both finished their respective ratification procedures. He noted that the three parties continue to discuss the operationalization of the deal. "Matters related to the agreement, its ratification, and operationalisation remain under discussion by the three parties," Khan said in a transcript released by the Foreign Office.
The pact, signed in Mecca on 7 August by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, mandates collective defense if any member state suffers an external armed attack. Islamabad describes the arrangement as defensive and aligned with the UN Charter. Turkey remains in the process of securing its own domestic approval, meaning the agreement is not yet fully ratified by all three signatories.
Progress on implementation accelerated following a 5 October meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee. The group agreed to deploy military forces and capabilities rapidly in Saudi Arabia in response to collective defense commitments, subject to each nation's domestic laws.
The ratification coincides with Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory. The kingdom's Civil Defence issued warnings this week about potential dangers in Abha and Khamis Mushait in the southwest. Officials later reported that the danger had passed, advising residents to avoid gathering or filming in affected areas without specifying the exact nature of the threat.
Regional tensions have also heightened in Israel. The military announced large-scale exercises in the north and centre for Sunday and Monday, involving the air force and units from the Northern and Central Commands. These drills will rehearse scenarios of surprise air and land attacks. The military stated the exercises test readiness to defend against multi-front threats.
Washington and Tel Aviv are reportedly weighing renewed military action against Iran. President Trump said on Friday that the United States might carry out another operation as the conflict nears its eighth month. A report by The Business Times, citing US officials, indicated that American and Israeli forces have drawn up plans for fresh strikes after the US midterm elections on 3 November, targeting energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile capabilities.
