PM Shehbaz Thanks Trump for Backing Makkah Joint Defence Agreement

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday thanked US President Donald Trump for publicly supporting the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, saying Islamabad would continue working with its partners to strengthen regional defence and stability.

Shehbaz issued the response after Trump welcomed the trilateral security agreement and described it as a major first step towards stronger regional defence cooperation. The prime minister’s remarks were published through his official X account.

Shehbaz said he deeply appreciated Trump’s supportive remarks and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to working alongside Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in what he described as a constructive role for the defence of the three countries and the wider region.

Trump welcomes trilateral defence pact

Trump said he was pleased to see Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan conclude the agreement and argued that it demonstrated how regional states were increasingly developing their own collective defence capabilities.

He described the pact as a “big, bold and important first step” and congratulated the leadership of the three countries. His endorsement has subsequently received broad international and regional media coverage.

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed on August 7, 2026, bringing Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye into a formal trilateral security framework. Reuters reports that the accord provides that an armed attack on one member will be regarded as an attack on all three.

Shehbaz again praises Trump over South Asia crisis

In his response, Shehbaz also praised what he called Trump’s “courageous and decisive leadership,” saying it had helped avert what the Pakistani prime minister characterised as a potential nuclear catastrophe in South Asia and saved millions of lives.

That assessment represents Shehbaz Sharif’s characterization of Trump’s role and should not be reported as an independently established conclusion.

Pakistan’s leadership has repeatedly credited Trump with helping reduce tensions during previous confrontation in South Asia, while the exact extent of Washington’s role has been the subject of competing political narratives.

Shehbaz said lasting peace remained essential for the prosperity and future of people across the region.

What does the Makkah agreement include?

The trilateral pact goes beyond a general political declaration.

Türkiye’s Defence Ministry has said the three countries plan to establish high-level political and military coordination mechanisms involving defence ministers, foreign ministers and senior military commanders.

Planned cooperation includes joint military exercises across land, maritime and air domains as well as air defence, unmanned systems and other advanced capabilities. The parties also intend to deepen defence-industry cooperation through joint development, production, technology collaboration and logistics support.

Türkiye has said the framework is designed to place defence relations on a more institutional and sustainable footing and is not intended to replace the members’ existing alliances.

Pakistan has similarly described the agreement as defensive rather than directed against a particular country, while officials have indicated that other states could potentially join under agreed conditions.

Pact builds on Pakistan-Saudi defence relationship

The trilateral agreement follows a separate Pakistan-Saudi mutual defence agreement signed in September 2025.

That bilateral pact stated that aggression against either Pakistan or Saudi Arabia would be regarded as aggression against both, formalising a longstanding security partnership between Islamabad and Riyadh.

Pakistan has historically provided training and military assistance to Saudi forces, while Islamabad and Ankara maintain extensive defence ties that include training, exercises and defence-industrial cooperation.

The addition of Türkiye therefore broadens what had already been deep bilateral relationships into a more structured three-way security arrangement.

Regional significance grows

The agreement comes amid significant instability across the Middle East and growing efforts by regional governments to strengthen their own security partnerships.

Saudi Arabia has increasingly sought defensive alliances as conflicts and attacks on energy and maritime infrastructure have raised concerns about regional vulnerability.

Iran, meanwhile, has publicly said it sees no inherent reason to fear the Pakistan-Türkiye-Saudi arrangement, while stressing that regional security structures should remain inclusive and responsive to the region’s geopolitical realities.

Trump’s endorsement, followed by Shehbaz’s appreciative response, adds another diplomatic dimension to the pact by signalling that Washington currently views the arrangement positively.

For Pakistan, the agreement also reinforces its increasingly visible role in Middle Eastern security diplomacy while Islamabad continues to present itself as a supporter of regional stability and negotiated solutions to wider conflicts.