ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated on Monday that anyexpansion of the existing Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence agreement,including the inclusion of other countries such as Turkiye, would requiremutual agreement between Islamabad and Riyadh. Speaking exclusively to GeoNews at Parliament House, the minister underscored that decisions onbroadening the pact remain a joint prerogative of both nations, reflectinga cautious yet open approach to evolving regional security dynamics amidongoing multilateral discussions.
The statement follows recent confirmations from Minister for DefenceProduction Raza Hayat Harraj, who told Reuters on January 15 that Pakistan,Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye have prepared a draft defence agreement afternearly a year of negotiations. Harraj clarified that this trilateral draftis distinct from the bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA)signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025, whichestablished a collective defence clause treating aggression against one asan attack on both.
International media outlets, including Bloomberg, reported in early Januarythat Turkiye was at an advanced stage of discussions to join the SMDA. Sucha development could potentially create a new security alignment among threekey Muslim-majority powers, influencing the balance of power in the MiddleEast and South Asia, particularly in response to regional instabilitiesinvolving Iran, Israel, and broader geopolitical shifts following recentconflicts.
The bilateral SMDA, inked in Riyadh by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif andSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has already drawn significantattention for its implications. Analysts note that it represents the firstformal military pact between a nuclear-armed state like Pakistan and amajor Arab Gulf nation, encompassing comprehensive defensive measures whileofficially focusing on mutual protection rather than nuclear sharing.
Pakistan and Turkiye maintain deep-rooted defence cooperation spanningdecades. Ankara has supplied advanced military hardware to Islamabad,including constructing corvette warships for the Pakistan Navy, upgradingF-16 fighter jets for the Pakistan Air Force, and transferring dronetechnology that has bolstered Pakistan’s capabilities in modern warfare.These longstanding ties provide a strong foundation for any potentialtrilateral framework.
In his interview, Minister Asif advocated for a broader collective defencemechanism among Muslim countries to safeguard their security interests. Heargued that such a unified approach would prevent these nations from beingweakened individually through external pressures or conflicts, promotingstability and deterrence in an increasingly volatile global environmentmarked by great power competitions and regional rivalries.
The proposed trilateral arrangement emerges against the backdrop ofheightened Middle East tensions, including spillover effects from theIsrael-Hamas conflict and concerns over Iranian influence. Discussions havereportedly been ongoing for ten months, with the draft now underdeliberation in all three capitals, indicating serious intent to formalisecooperation beyond existing bilateral arrangements.
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Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, haveacknowledged that talks occurred but emphasised that no final agreement hasbeen signed. Fidan highlighted President Tayyip Erdogan’s vision for aninclusive platform fostering wider stability and trust among regionalnations, suggesting the initiative could evolve into a more encompassingsecurity mechanism open to additional partners.
Defence experts observe that a Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkiye axis wouldcombine complementary strengths: Saudi Arabia’s financial resources,Pakistan’s strategic military depth and nuclear deterrence, and Turkiye’sadvanced defence industry and operational experience. This synergy couldreduce reliance on Western alliances and address shared threats such asterrorism, border insecurities, and external interventions.
While the trilateral draft remains separate from the SMDA, its progressionsignals a strategic pivot by these nations towards greater self-reliance indefence matters. Any final consensus would require careful negotiation toalign obligations, potentially reshaping regional security architectureswithout necessarily mirroring NATO’s binding commitments.
The development underscores Pakistan’s active role in fosteringMuslim-world solidarity on security issues. Minister Asif’s remarksreinforce Islamabad’s commitment to consultative decision-making, ensuringthat expansions serve mutual interests while contributing to collectiveresilience against common challenges.
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