Pakistan has rejected claims of secrecy surrounding the Makkah joint defence agreement, saying its provisions contain no hidden clauses. Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan confirmed that Pakistan recognises the agreement’s publicly available draft. His remarks clarify Islamabad’s position on the defence arrangement amid its regional significance. He also stressed that the agreement focuses on collective defence rather than targeting any third country.
Khan said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had completed their respective ratification processes for the agreement. He also confirmed Pakistan’s support for the document presented before the Turkish parliament. According to the spokesperson, the publicly available draft reflects the agreement that Pakistan recognises. He rejected the suggestion that undisclosed provisions exist within the pact.
Read more: Pakistan, Türkiye and E3 launch Istanbul diplomatic talks
The spokesperson explained that each participating country follows its own procedure for ratifying the agreement. Therefore, the approval process may differ between countries. He did not describe these differences as evidence of secret arrangements. Instead, he reiterated that the agreement’s publicly available text represents Pakistan’s position.
Khan emphasised that the agreement’s provisions serve a shared defensive purpose. He said the clauses do not target any country outside the arrangement. His statement presented the pact as a framework for cooperation among participating states. It also reinforced Pakistan’s position that the agreement should not be viewed as directed against a third party.
The comments address questions about the agreement’s contents and the intentions behind its provisions. By acknowledging the available draft, Pakistan has clarified which document it recognises. The spokesperson’s remarks also highlighted the distinction between national ratification procedures and the agreement’s actual terms. However, he provided no further details about additional implementation measures.
Read more: Ishaq Dar heads to Istanbul for R4+E3 talks
Khan also addressed concerns involving India and possible false-flag operations. He said India had a history of such operations, according to Pakistan’s position. He added that Pakistan was prepared to respond to any such operation attributed to India. The spokesperson did not provide details of a specific incident or identify a particular threat.
Pakistan’s latest statement reiterates its support for the Makkah joint defence agreement and its stated purpose. Meanwhile, the Turkish parliament’s ratification process remains a separate national procedure. Khan’s remarks underline that the participating countries determine their own approval processes. He maintained that the pact’s provisions concern collective defence and contain no secret clauses.