ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia celebrated their joint defense pact with Türkiye on Saturday with the Kingdom illuminating landmarks across the country with the flags of all three countries, while Pakistan hoisted the national flags of the three states at a key road in Islamabad.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement” on Friday, stipulating that an armed attack against one of the three countries would be treated as an attack against all, amid regional tensions following months of conflict between the United States and Iran.
Authorities in Islamabad hoisted national flags of the three countries along the Constitution Avenue in Islamabad, which houses the country’s parliament, Supreme Court and other important ministries and government offices. LED screens were also installed along key locations in the capital, highlighting the historic brotherly relations between the three countries and their joint defense commitment.
“This special decoration of the federal capital serves as a beautiful manifestation of brotherhood, mutual trust, defense cooperation, and shared resolve among the three nations,” the Pakistani information ministry said in a statement.
‘WIDESPREAD PUBLIC JUBILATION’
Separately, prominent landmarks and towers across Saudi Arabia were illuminated with the national flags of Pakistan, Türkiye and the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.
“The light displays across various regions reflected widespread public jubilation over the historic pact,” SPA said, describing the agreement as an expression of the three countries’ commitment to collective security and regional and global stability.
Pakistan’s information ministry also released a special anthem following the signing, portraying Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye as united by religious and cultural ties and a shared commitment to defense.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had already signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement in September 2025, pledging that an attack against either country would be considered an attack against both.
The new agreement expands that mutual defense framework to Türkiye, a NATO member with one of the region’s largest militaries.
The pact was signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Makkah on Friday. The development took place in the backdrop of months of tensions in the Middle East, triggered by the United States and Iran war that began in February.
Middle Eastern political analyst Abdullah Al-Rifai told AFP the participation of three influential regional states could make the pact attractive to other countries.
“This agreement includes parties with significant weight in the region, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye,” he said. “I believe that this agreement will attract many countries because it is a common interest and serves everyone.”
He said the pact should not be viewed through an ideological, sectarian or religious lens, arguing that its significance lay instead in security and stability.
Al-Rifai pointed to the three countries’ differing international relationships — Türkiye’s NATO membership, Pakistan’s ties with Iran and Saudi Arabia’s recent engagement with Tehran — as factors that could allow the grouping to play a stabilizing role.
