Monitoring Desk: “The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye is a strategic defence framework based on collective deterrence, defence cooperation and regional stability rather than providing a licence for immediate offensive military action anywhere in the region“.
This was explained by a senior diplomat in Islamabad when was asked to comment on the emerging regional situation. He was of the view that the Agreement is already producing institutional results. he said that on August 31, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye convened the Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Istanbul and agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia, initially headed by a Pakistani Secretary-General and the three countries also agreed to expand cooperation in the defence industry, joint technology development and military coordination, reflecting the effort to develop a sustainable trilateral security architecture.
According to him, the media should keep in mind the distinction between defending Saudi Arabia and launching a war inside Yemen as the Makkah Agreement is defensive, and there is a profound strategic difference between helping protect Saudi territory and being drawn into an open-ended offensive campaign in Yemen that would in long run would not favour anybody including Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office circles are of the view that anti-Islam lobbies seeking to pitch Islamic states against one another rather than allowing Muslim states to resolve their differences peacefully and these elements pitching a narrative, mostly through Indian and Israeli media that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is “not yielding results”. Circles believe that jingoism is not answer and stabilizing factors require following the demands of strategic defence framework (Agreement) that is not designed to trigger instant military retaliation every time a new development occurs in the region. They explained that the Agreement was never presented as a licence for immediate offensive action. The purpose of Agreement is collective deterrence, defence cooperation and regional stability. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye have committed themselves to strengthening collective deterrence and defence while also supporting de-escalation and the peaceful resolution of crises.
The continuation of Houthi attacks does not by itself prove that deterrence has failed. Deterrence cannot be measured solely by whether an adversary immediately stops all hostile activity. Its real test is whether an alliance creates the capability, coordination and political consequences necessary to raise the cost of aggression and protect its member states.
Circles are of the view that Pakistan has repeatedly demonstrated clear resolve to defend Saudi Arabia. Pakistan’s Defence Minister has explicitly stated that unprovoked aggression against Saudi Arabia, or any spillover of the Yemen conflict into Saudi territory, would make the Makkah Agreement operational and that Pakistan is bound by its commitments. The Foreign Office has likewise reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
Türkiye has also not remained silent or detached. Ankara has condemned Houthi attacks, reaffirmed its support for Saudi sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called on the Houthis to immediately cease their aggressive actions.
They are of the view that helping protect Saudi territory is fundamentally different from becoming involved in an open-ended offensive campaign inside Yemen because in such way Islamabad and Istanbul will loss leverage for future role, they can play to resolve the issue through dialogue. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye have strategic relationships, and their defence relationship predates the August agreement and has now been formalised into a trilateral framework. The purpose of institutionalising this relationship is to build sustainable capability, coordination and preparedness.
“The Makkah alliance is therefore built for strategic deterrence, not social-media theatre. Riyadh, Islamabad and Ankara have chosen to build an enduring security architecture whose credibility will ultimately be judged by what these states are capable of doing when circumstances require it, rather than by how loudly they announce every step beforehand”, commented a senior official of Foreign Office with the condition of anonymity as he is authorized to talk with media.
