ISLAMABAD: A trilateral meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement will be held in Riyadh on Monday, bringing together senior officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will represent Pakistan at the meeting.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 arrived in Madinah Munawwarah ahead of his meeting in Riyadh today under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
He was received by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s Consul General in Jeddah, Director General of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Madinah Branch, and the Saudi Royal Protocol.
The DPM/FM paid respects at Roza-e-Rasool ﷺ and offered prayers for the peace and prosperity of Pakistan, the well-being of its people and the Muslim Ummah, as well as for regional peace and stability. He also visited Jabal Uhud, where he paid homage to the Shuhada-e-Uhud and offered prayers.
The DPM/FM has since proceeded to Riyadh to participate in the meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC), where he will join Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, along with counterparts representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Türkiye.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 5, 2026
According to a post by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X, the Pakistani delegation will join its counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in Riyadh.
Strategic Talks
The SPDC meeting is being held under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, where the three countries will discuss strategic political and defence cooperation.
Mr Dar arrived in Madinah Munawwarah ahead of the meeting and has since proceeded to Riyadh, according to the Foreign Office.
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Curtain Raiser: Meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) under the Makkah Agreement
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 5, 2026
The ministry said he was received in Madinah by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s Consul General in Jeddah, the Director General of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Madinah branch and representatives of the Saudi Royal Protocol.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed an agreement in August, aimed at strengthening collective deterrence against any act of aggression.
Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the agreement.
Earlier this week, Pakistan appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood as the first Secretary General of the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance. The alliance’s General Secretariat is to be established in Riyadh.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that representatives from Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia will meet in Riyadh on Monday for a session of the committee overseeing their Makkah defence agreement.
“The meeting will address recent developments in the region and the stage reached in the Alliance’s institutionalisation efforts,” the ministry said in a statement.
It said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Chief of the General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu would attend the meeting of the pact’s Strategic Political and Defence Committee, alongside officials from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
