Former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, China and the United Nations, and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan said here on Saturday that the Makkah Pact was designed to establish collective deterrence through strategic synergy among the three member countries.
He said emphasized that the agreement envisaged practical defence cooperation alongside deeper economic connectivity among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Speaking on the agreement at Center for Law and Security, Sardar Masood Khan said the pact has clearly defined the objective of developing collective deterrence and strategic synergy among its three signatories.
He said the agreement was not merely declaratory in nature but envisaged the creation of concrete capabilities and competencies to translate its strategic intent into an effective mechanism.
He said the agreement provides for joint military exercises, joint military training and enhanced defence cooperation among the three countries. It also envisages cooperation in defence procurement and, importantly, joint defence production, which could contribute to strengthening the indigenous defence capabilities of the participating countries.
Khan said institutional mechanisms would also be established to oversee and advance the activities envisaged under the agreement. These mechanisms would bring together military and strategic specialists as well as relevant representatives of the three countries to develop and implement the pact’s objectives.
He emphasised that the Makkah Pact should not be viewed solely through the prism of military cooperation, adding that the agreement also carried significant economic dimensions, with the participating countries seeking to deepen economic connectivity and establish stronger economic underpinnings for their strategic partnership.
Sardar Masood Khan observed that the emergence of such a framework should also be understood in the context of the wider transformation taking place in the international system.
He said the Muslim world possesses important common bonds and shared interests, while differences among Muslim countries should not prevent them from developing mechanisms for cooperation and collective security.
He stressed the importance of an indigenous approach to security and cooperation, noting that Muslim countries have for decades discussed the need to develop their own institutional mechanisms but have not been able to translate many of these ideas into practical arrangements.
Sardar Masood Khan further noted that the three countries have distinct national interests and strategic considerations. Pakistan has its own security and economic imperatives, Saudi Arabia has sought to strengthen and diversify its security partnerships, while Türkiye occupies an important strategic position in the regional and international security environment.
He said the significance of the Makkah Pact therefore lied in its potential to transform existing bilateral relationships into a structured framework of collective deterrence, defence cooperation and economic connectivity, while providing the participating countries greater strategic space and capacity to safeguard their respective interests.
