Now Reading: Pakistan, Saudi, Turkey sign mutual defence pact
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Pakistan, Saudi, Turkey sign mutual defence pact
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Makkah Accord on Friday, a mutual defence agreement. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the pact is “purely defensive” and open to other nations. It…
The Story in Brief
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed the Makkah Accord on Friday, a mutual defence agreement. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the pact is “purely defensive” and open to other nations. It stipulates that an armed attack on any one signatory will be considered an attack on all, invoking the right to collective self-defence under UN Charter Article 51.
The deal was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Analysts caution against comparing it to NATO, despite the collective-defence clause. The three countries have close military ties, but their capabilities vary widely: Pakistan is the only nuclear-armed Muslim state, Saudi Arabia offers economic and regional influence, and Turkey brings a large military and defence industry.
The Indian Opinion
Some armchair analysts are rushing to call this a new NATO, but that is pure fantasy. The pact explicitly says it is open to others and not aimed at any country. Will any other major power, say China or a Gulf state, actually join? That is the real test. Until then, it is a symbolic gesture of solidarity among three Sunni states, not a game-changing military bloc.
Sources (3): ndtvprofit.com, thehindu.com, newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
