Pakistan, Saudi Arabia have ratified Makkah defence pact, Türkiye in process: FO

By Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have completed ratification of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, the Foreign Office said on Friday, adding that Türkiye is still taking the trilateral pact through its domestic legal procedures. 'Pakistan and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have already completed their ratification processes, while Türkiye is undertaking the requisite procedures in accordance with its domestic legal framework,' the Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told the weekly press briefing. The confirmation comes after Ankara submitted the agreement to the Turkish parliament for approval, making its text public for the first time. Islamabad has not released the text itself. Asked why the text had not been made public in Pakistan despite cabinet approval, the spokesperson said each country follows its own constitutional and legal procedures for approving and ratifying international agreements. Ratification and operationalisation of the pact remain under discussion among the three parties, including in the Strategic Political and Defence Committee, which last met on October 5, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson endorsed the 16-article text released from the Turkish parliament and rejected suggestions of undisclosed clauses. 'There are no hidden provisions; the agreement is explicit and clear in its provisions and articles,' the spokesperson said. Article 2 of the agreement treats an external armed attack on any party as an attack on all. Asked whether this covers Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the spokesperson said the pact is defensive and consistent with Article 51 of the UN Charter. It is 'not directed against any particular country,' the spokesperson said, adding that the nature and extent of any assistance would be decided collectively by the three countries after an objective assessment of the circumstances. On a follow-up question, the spokesperson pointed to the article in the agreement that sets out the mechanism for invoking it. The spokesperson said any such decision rests with the three partners. Pakistan 'remains fully committed to the letter and spirit of the Agreement,' the spokesperson said, describing it as aimed at promoting regional peace, security and stability.