Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that the defence pact signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye is “purely defensive” and is “not targeted against any country”. He also said the agreement remains “open to any country in the region willing to uphold its fundamental principles”.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed on Friday by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Al-Safa Palace in Mecca. Under the pact, an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all three.
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In a post on X, Dar said the pact reflected the “depth of the brotherly relations between the leadership and peoples of the three countries”. He described it as the result of years of discussions and coordination, with “a common desire to strengthen strategic cooperation in addressing multifarious peace and security challenges and advancing regional peace, stability and prosperity”.
Dar said the agreement does not cancel or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements among the three countries, or with other countries or organisations. “The Makkah Accord is purely defensive in nature. It is not targeted against any country and its sole purpose is to further strengthen our ongoing efforts towards peace, stability and prosperity in the wider region,” he said, adding that any external armed attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all, in line with the right of individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
He further said: “Makkah Accord remains open to any country in the region willing to uphold its fundamental principles and resolve differences through mutual respect, cooperation and peaceful means.” Calling the pact consistent with the basic pillars of Pakistan’s foreign policy, Dar said the country “looks forward to continuing to work closely with all brotherly countries in the region towards lasting peace and stability” and remains committed to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and to building “a more secure, stable and prosperous future for our peoples”.
The pact comes at a time when the conflict in West Asia has spread across multiple fronts, including the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, leading Gulf states to step up regional security coordination. Pakistan, which has sought to play a mediatory role between the US and Iran, said last week it was “doing its utmost” to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in June.
Dar’s remarks sought to present the Makkah Accord as a defensive arrangement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, while underlining that it does not replace existing agreements and remains open to countries in the region that accept its principles.
With PTI Inputs
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
