Pakistan labels Saudi-Turkey defence pact as purely defensive mechanism

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Sunday, 9 August, that a tripartite defence cooperation agreement involving Saudi Arabia and Turkey is strictly defensive in nature. The statement follows the second meeting of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkey Trilateral Defence Committee, where officials finalised a framework for shared military research and development. Tripartite military cooperation The pact establishes a formal structure for the three nations to collaborate on defence equipment production and technology transfers. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson for the Pakistan Foreign Office, stated that the cooperation aims to enhance the sovereign capabilities of each member state rather than targeting any third party or regional actor. The agreement covers joint ventures in ammunition production and the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This diplomatic clarification follows recent sessions held in Riyadh and Islamabad, where senior military officials reviewed progress on technical working groups. The three countries have historically maintained strong bilateral security ties, but this trilateral framework represents a consolidated effort to reduce…