ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed the newly signed Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in separate conversations with his Kuwaiti and Canadian counterparts, with the officials also exchanging views on regional developments amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
The conversations came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Kingdom to sign the agreement, under which an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all.
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah spoke with Dar late on Sunday, days after the pact was signed.
“FM Jarrah felicitated the DPM/FM on the recent signing of the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement.
“The two also exchanged views on the regional situation, including Occupied East Jerusalem,” it added.
Sheikh Jarrah visited Pakistan on July 28-29 for talks aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, with the two countries discussing cooperation in areas including trade, investment, energy and defense.
The visit followed reports that Pakistan and Kuwait were discussing an expansion of their defense relationship.
Reuters reported in July, citing people familiar with the matter, that the two countries were in early-stage negotiations over expanded defense cooperation alongside energy cooperation and investment.
Dar’s discussion with the Kuwaiti foreign minister on East Jerusalem followed an emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic countries in Jordan last week over mounting concerns about Israeli actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy sites in the occupied city.
The meeting was convened amid repeated incursions into the Al-Aqsa compound by Israeli settlers and concerns that Israeli actions could alter the historical and legal status quo governing the holy site.
Dar separately spoke with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, exchanging views on the regional situation and briefing her on the Makkah agreement, according to another foreign office statement.
“DPM/FM shared with FM Anand the essence of the Agreement and the joint resolve of the three countries to contribute to regional peace, stability and security,” the foreign office said. “They also discussed the evolving situation in the US-Iran context.”
Dar thanked Anand for her recent visit to Pakistan, and they agreed to remain closely engaged on issues of shared interest.
Anand visited Islamabad last month as Pakistan and Canada sought to deepen bilateral engagement, with the two countries agreeing to strengthen cooperation in areas including trade and investment.
Both telephone calls came shortly after the Pakistan deputy prime minister clarified the scope of the Makkah agreement amid discussion over the implications of the new collective defense arrangement.
“The Makkah Accord is purely defensive in nature,” Dar said in a post on X. “It is not targeted against any country and its sole purpose is to further strengthen our ongoing efforts toward peace, stability and prosperity in the wider region.”
Dar said the agreement did not abrogate or replace existing bilateral or multilateral agreements involving the three countries or their agreements with other states and organizations.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already have a bilateral Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed in September 2025, while Türkiye is a member of NATO.
The Makkah Accord also remains open to other countries in the region willing to uphold its fundamental principles and resolve differences through mutual respect, cooperation and peaceful means.
The pact was signed against the backdrop of the US-Iran conflict, which has engulfed parts of the Middle East and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea.
