A high-level Pakistani delegation is set to attend the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Istanbul on Monday, August 31.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will represent Pakistan at the meeting. Senior officials from Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are also expected to participate.
The committee was established following the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement by Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia earlier this month. The agreement aims to strengthen strategic, political and military cooperation among the three countries and establish a framework for collective defence.
The inaugural meeting is expected to focus on regional and international security developments, strengthening defence capabilities and improving interoperability among the three armed forces. Defence industry cooperation, including joint production and development of military equipment and technology, is also expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
The agreement includes a collective defence provision under which an armed attack against any one of the three signatories is regarded as an attack against all three. The arrangement has drawn comparisons with NATO’s collective-defence principle.
The Istanbul meeting marks the first formal high-level gathering under the new defence framework and is expected to provide strategic direction for implementing the agreement.
The three countries are also likely to discuss mechanisms for deeper military coordination as regional security concerns continue to grow.
The meeting is being closely watched as Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia seek to translate their newly established defence partnership into practical cooperation.