Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said the defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye serves purely defensive purposes and does not target any country.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7. The pact seeks to strengthen collective deterrence. It also treats an attack on one signatory as an attack on all three.

Speaking at a federal cabinet meeting, Shehbaz recalled signing the agreement in Makkah with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He said the agreement aims to promote peace, progress and prosperity across the region.

“Its purpose is definitely not that any aggression occurs. It is entirely for defensive purposes, for peace, tranquillity and progress in the region,” the prime minister said.

Shehbaz described the agreement as a source of strength for Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, as well as the wider Muslim world.

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He also praised Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for their role in finalising the pact.

The prime minister said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had already developed close defence ties. Islamabad and Ankara have also maintained defence arrangements for decades.

He recalled Pakistan’s long-standing role in helping defend Islam’s holiest sites in Makkah and Madina alongside Saudi forces.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also welcomed the agreement and repeated that it does not target any country.

Dar said the pact’s collective defence provision remains consistent with the right to individual and collective self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has described the agreement as an important strategic development. Kuwait, Bahrain and Somalia have also welcomed the pact.

Iran has responded positively as well, saying it supports regional security mechanisms based on cooperation among neighbouring countries.

Shehbaz backs dialogue in AJK

The prime minister also addressed the political situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where protests over refugee seats and other issues have created tensions for nearly two months.

Shehbaz said the next AJK government should continue dialogue with protesters who seek peaceful solutions.

He warned, however, that authorities would not allow groups seeking to create anarchy or lawlessness.

“Those who want to peacefully and patiently discuss the situation, the new government will provide a chance for that,” he said.

The prime minister claimed the government had evidence that some elements deliberately worsened the situation while acting on the directions of an enemy.

He said the government had already organised a multi-party conference in Muzaffarabad before the AJK elections. One political party, apparently referring to the PTI, did not attend.

Shehbaz said the conference discussed demands linked to refugee seats. He argued that protesters should allow the elections to continue and raise their concerns in the new assembly.

The prime minister also welcomed the PML-N’s performance in the ongoing AJK elections.

The party has secured 24 of the 45 seats contested so far. It won nine seats in the first phase in Mirpur and 15 in the second phase covering Muzaffarabad and refugee seats.

Polling for the third phase began in Poonch Division on Monday.

Shehbaz said the results so far had given the PML-N an almost established majority.

He described the vote as a show of confidence in PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and expressed hope that the new AJK government would focus on development and prosperity.

PM vows to defeat terrorism

Shehbaz also discussed the country’s security situation and recent terrorist attacks.

He referred to the August 2 suicide bombing in Swat that killed 17 people. He also remembered Deputy Superintendent of Police Diyar Khan, who died in an attack on a police checkpoint in Hangu.

The prime minister paid tribute to Captain Hamza Akram and Major Hafiz Ihsan Elahi, who lost their lives during operations in Hangu and North Waziristan.

He said security forces continue to target militants linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

“Fitna Al Khawarij are being annihilated day and night,” Shehbaz said.

He added that the sacrifices of security personnel would not go to waste.

The prime minister expressed hope that Pakistan would eventually overcome terrorism and move towards lasting peace and economic progress.

The cabinet also offered prayers for the martyrs and for PML-N MNA Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar, whom Shehbaz described as a longtime friend.