Overview
- ISPR director Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that Pakistan is acting as an honest broker for a negotiated US–Iran settlement while also upholding the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
- Chaudhry confirmed Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia under the pact and said Pakistani forces have been present in Saudi Arabia for decades and serve in multiple roles there.
- The three-way Makkah accord was signed in August and partners agreed in late September to set up a secretariat, appoint a secretary‑general, and begin operational steps for rapid deployment.
- Officials describe the pact as purely defensive and say operational commanders will determine deployments, but they have not publicly disclosed specific command, legal or trigger arrangements.
- The pact aims to deter attacks on Saudi territory and the holy sites and could deepen military integration among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye while testing Islamabad’s claim of diplomatic neutrality.