Pakistan rules out immediate expansion of Makkah defense agreement

Pakistan has no immediate plans to expand the Makkah defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey to include other countries, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Thursday. Islamabad is instead focused on strengthening cooperation among the three founding members.

Will the Makkah defense agreement be expanded?

Pakistan's Foreign Office says expansion is not currently planned. Khan said the three member states must first consolidate their own cooperation before any other countries with similar views and security concerns are considered at a later stage.

"For now, there is no plan to expand the Makkah Agreement," Khan said at his weekly briefing. Countries with similar views and security concerns could potentially be considered later, he said, but "at this stage, expansion is not under discussion."

What does the Makkah defense agreement cover?

The defense pact was signed on August 7 and aims to strengthen collective deterrence among its signatories. It empowers Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to treat an attack against any one of them as an attack against all three.

Its inaugural meeting was held on August 31 in Istanbul, where the three countries agreed to establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia headed by a secretary general. The secretariat will initially be led by a Pakistani secretary general for three years.

Khan described the agreement as an umbrella framework under which further mechanisms and procedures would be developed. He said implementation would take time, adding that further aspects of Pakistan-Saudi defense cooperation would emerge in due course.

Pakistan also strongly condemned Houthi attacks on various areas of Saudi Arabia and reiterated its support for the kingdom's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Pakistan will continue to play its role for peace and stability," Khan said, adding that bilateral defense cooperation with Saudi Arabia was continuing, with Pakistani forces present there for training and logistical purposes.

What else did Pakistan's Foreign Office address?

Khan rejected the impression that the government had decided to repatriate all Afghan students from Pakistan. "There is no decision to send all Afghan students back to Afghanistan," he said, adding that students enrolled in valid degree programs and holding valid visas could remain in Pakistan to complete their education.

On regional diplomacy, Khan highlighted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's recent visit to Kyrgyzstan, during which Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan signed 17 memorandums of understanding and agreed to enhance security and defense cooperation. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar remained engaged with foreign ministers and international leaders through telephone conversations, Khan said.

Pakistan has dispatched 100 tons of humanitarian assistance to Nepal following devastating floods in the country, Khan added. Dar also visited the Nepalese Embassy in connection with the aid effort.

Pakistan rejected India's claims concerning a temple in Pakistan and condemned the demolition of a century-old mosque in Uttar Pradesh. Khan reiterated Pakistan's rejection of Indian assertions concerning Jammu and Kashmir, saying Islamabad maintained its established position on the internationally disputed territory.

Responding to questions about the repatriation of Pakistanis from the United Arab Emirates, Khan said about 7,000 to 8,000 Pakistanis were sent back each year for visa regulation violations. The UAE issues approximately 40,000 to 50,000 visas to Pakistani citizens annually, which he described as part of a normal process. He said people could become undocumented for reasons including overstaying visas or violating immigration regulations, and that Pakistan would continue its diplomatic engagement while protecting its interests and supporting regional peace and stability.