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MAKKAH PACT HAS 'NO REGIONAL ASPIRATIONS', INTENDED FOR COLLECTIVE DETERRENCE: DG ISPR Thursday, 17 September, 2026 | 4 Rabius Sani, 1448
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LT GEN CHAUDHRY SAYS PACT FORMALISES PAKISTAN’S DECADES-OLD TIES WITH SAUDI ARABIA AND BROTHERLY COUNTRY TÜRKIYE
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MAKKAH DEFENCE PACT TO SERVE DEFENSIVE PURPOSES ONLY, SAYS DG ISPR ISLAMABAD
monitoRing RepoRt
NTER-SERVICES Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said that the Makkah Defence Alliance—a tripartite agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye—has no "regional aspirations" and is intended for collective deterrence. The military spokesperson made the remarks during an interview on Al Arabiya English’s programme ‘Global News Today’, during a conversation with the host, Tom Burges Watson. During the show, aired during the early hours of Wednesday, Lt Gen Chaudhry was asked about Pakistan’s commitments under the agreement. “It formalises Pakistan’s decades-old relationship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the brotherly country of Türkiye in the domains of collective deterrence and defence,” he said. Watson then asked whether the pact was primarily a defensive cooperation or the beginning of a broader strategic alliance. To that, Lt Gen Chaudhry asserted that the pact was defensive, as its name implied. “It is defensive. There’s nothing aggressive. There are no regional aspirations. It is collective deterrence,” he said, adding that the agreement was also “complementary”. Elaborating further, he said the countries part of the alliance had independent relationships with other nations, blocs
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EMPHASIZES COUNTRIES PART OF ALLIANCE HAD INDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER NATIONS, BLOCS AND ALLIANCES LT GEN CHAUDHRY ASSERTES MAKKAH PACT COMPLEMENTS ISLAMABAD-BEIJING TIES
CDF MUNIR, US DEFENCE FIRM DELEGATION DISCUSS COOPERATION RAWALPINDI
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and alliances. “So this mutual defence agreement is complementary in nature. It is not competing with any other relationship of these countries,” he added. At that, Watson asked, “But does it contain any mutual defence obligation?” In his short reply to the question, Lt Gen Chaudhry remarked, “The text that has been made public by the leadership of the three countries enunciates that very clearly, and its interpretation is quite clear.” Asked how Pakistan would respond if one of the countries in the alliance came under attack, he said that the operationalisation of defensive commitments was never made public in any discourse. “You see, you have multiple other agreements which are defensive in na-
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A delegation of POWERUS, a USbased company specialising in defence and critical infrastructure solutions, called on Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces (COAS & CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters on Tuesday. The delegation was led by Robert Bret Velicovich. During the meeting, the two sides discussed matters of mutual interest, emerging trends in defence technology and potential avenues for
ture, which are committal in nature. But no country comes out and starts sharing its operational details […] What you’re asking is the 'how' part — that is, how we will defend Pakistan against any aggression. “That is always part of the operational classification and security […] What you’re asking is how it will be done. It is for the three countries to decide, and it is for them to know and for them to actualise it,” he said. Specifically asked whether the military spokesperson saw the alliance “complementing or competing” with Pakistan’s relationship with China, Lt Gen Chaudhry asserted that it complemented Islamabad-Beijing ties. “We need to understand that the Pak-
cooperation in defence procurement, production and capacity building. Field Marshal Asim Munir pointed out the importance of technological innovation and advanced solutions in strengthening national security and enhancing resilience. Both sides expressed interest in further expanding their engagement in areas of mutual interest. The meeting reflected growing interest in exploring opportunities for cooperation in defence technology and related fields between Pakistan and USbased industry.
Saudi and the Pak-Turkiye relationship has not come out of the blue. The Chinese understand it. The world at large understands it. That’s how historic these relationships are. We have formalised that. “Nobody has any problem with that. Everyone understands that this is defensive. Everyone understands it is for maintaining stability and peace in the region. And all the three countries that are part of it, they have a wonderful relationship with China,” he said. During the interview, Lt Gen Chaudhry was also asked whether he saw the defence agreement becoming a part of the wider, Muslim-world security architecture.
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Pakistan, China agree to expand security cooperation, establish law enforcement centre ISLAMABAD
Saleem Jadoon
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday met Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security Gao Qi and discussed Pakistan-China bilateral relations, joint measures against terrorism and narcotics, and cooperation in internal security, with both sides agreeing to enhance collaboration in police training, technology exchange and modern law enforcement systems. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed ongoing cooperation in security-related fields and explored ways to further strengthen coordination in addressing common challenges. According to the Interior Ministry, they agreed to expand cooperation in police training exchange programmes and promote the use of modern technology and equipment in law enforcement. The two sides also agreed that China would support the establishment of a modern law enforcement centre in Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the law enforcement centre would become another symbol of Pakistan-China friendship. He said Pakistan wanted to further expand cooperation with China in matters related to internal security, according to a statement issued by the ministry. The minister said Chinese artificial intelligence-based technology and equipment could provide significant support in addressing security challenges. He noted that enhanced cooperation in technology and training would help strengthen institutional capacity and improve coordination among relevant agencies. Chinese Vice Minister Gao Qi appreciated Pakistan’s sacrifices and commitment in the fight against terrorism.He acknowledged the efforts made by Pakistan to counter security threats and maintain stability.