Pakistan Finishes Ratifying Mecca Defense Pact With Turkey and Saudi Arabia

Pakistan completed its legal ratification of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on Friday. Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan confirmed that both Islamabad and Riyadh have finished their respective procedures. The treaty was signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 7 August. It binds the three nations to provide collective defense if any one faces an external armed attack.

Turkey has not yet completed its internal approval process. Khan noted that discussions regarding the agreement's operationalization continue among the three parties. The deal specifies that the nature and level of assistance will depend on the specific circumstances of any attack. Pakistan described the pact as defensive and consistent with the United Nations Charter.

The move follows a 5 October meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee. That body called for rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia, subject to each country's domestic laws. This step brought the agreement closer to active implementation.

The ratification announcement coincides with renewed security alerts in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued warnings this week for Abha and Khamis Mushait in the southwest. Authorities later stated the danger had passed but asked residents to follow safety instructions and avoid filming in affected areas. They did not specify the source of the threat.

These alerts aligned with Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi infrastructure. Reuters reported on 21 October that Riyadh's allies are primarily offering defensive support. The kingdom is working to protect its critical assets from further strikes. The timing highlights the ongoing pressure on Saudi security forces.

Regional tensions remain high as the Israeli military announced large-scale exercises for Sunday and Monday. The drills involve the air force and units from the Northern and Central Commands. They will rehearse scenarios involving surprise air and land attacks. The military stated the exercises test readiness to defend against attacks on multiple fronts.

These preparations occur as Washington and Tel Aviv consider 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 from The Business Times, citing US officials, said American and Israeli forces have drawn up plans for strikes after the US midterm elections on 3 November. Potential targets include Iranian energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile capabilities.