Pakistan has completed its domestic ratification procedures for the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, Islamabad’s Foreign Office announced on 24 October 2026, moving the trilateral security accord with Saudi Arabia and Turkey closer to implementation.
What Pakistan has said
In a transcript released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said the government has finished its part of the ratification process. He added that the three countries are still discussing “matters related to the agreement, its ratification, and operationalisation.” The agreement was signed in Mecca on 7 August 2026 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“Matters related to the agreement, its ratification, and operationalisation remain under discussion by the three parties,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said
What the pact provides
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement provides for collective defence in the event of an external armed attack against any of the signatories, with the “nature and level of assistance” to be determined according to the circumstances, Islamabad said. A Strategic Political and Defence Committee meeting on 5 October urged steps towards implementation and the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia, subject to each country’s domestic laws.
Status of ratification
Pakistan described its ratification as consistent with the United Nations Charter and defensive in character. Turkey has not yet completed its domestic approval process, the Foreign Office statement said; ratification by all three signatories is required for the pact to be fully in force.
- Signed: 7 August 2026 (Mecca)
- Follow-up meeting: Strategic Political and Defence Committee, 5 October 2026
- Pakistan: ratification procedures completed; described the pact as defensive and UN‑charter compliant
- Turkey: domestic approval still pending
| Country | Signed | Ratification status (as reported) |
|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 7 August 2026 | Completed |
| Saudi Arabia | 7 August 2026 | Completed (government statement) |
| Turkey | 7 August 2026 | Pending domestic approval |
Pakistan’s announcement follows heightened security concerns in the Gulf after recent attacks on Saudi infrastructure and airports. The pact’s text, as described by Islamabad, envisages mutual assistance but leaves the specifics of any military response to circumstances and to national laws.
Islamabad said the agreement moved towards implementation after the 5 October meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, which called for implementation of collective defence commitments and the rapid deployment of forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia “subject to the countries’ domestic laws.” The Foreign Office statement did not provide a timeline for operationalisation nor detailed force commitments.
The ratification notice from Pakistan is a diplomatic and legal step that, according to Islamabad, brings the three governments closer to making the agreement executable once all domestic procedures are complete.
