78 Days After Signing, Pakistan Completes Ratification of Mecca Defense Pact

Pakistan completed its ratification of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on Friday, marking the first full legal approval by one of the three signatories since the accord was signed on August 7.

Sajjad Haider Khan, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office, confirmed that both Islamabad and Riyadh have concluded their respective ratification procedures. He stated that discussions regarding the agreement's operationalization continue among the three parties, according to a transcript released by the ministry.

The treaty was signed in Mecca by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The pact establishes a collective defense framework for external armed attacks, with the specific nature and level of assistance to be determined by the circumstances of each incident. Islamabad has characterized the deal as defensive and consistent with the United Nations Charter.

Turkey has not yet finalized its domestic approval process, meaning the agreement is not yet fully ratified by all three nations. Progress toward implementation accelerated following a meeting on October 5 of the tri-nation Strategic Political and Defence Committee. That body called for rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia, subject to each country's domestic laws.

The announcement coincided with renewed security threats in the Gulf region. Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued warnings this week regarding potential dangers in the southwestern cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait. Authorities later indicated that the threat had passed but advised residents to avoid gathering or filming in those areas, according to Anadolu Agency.

These alerts aligned with Houthi missile and drone strikes on Saudi infrastructure. On October 21, Reuters reported that Riyadh's allies were primarily providing defensive support as the kingdom worked to protect its infrastructure from further attacks.

Regional tensions also involve Israel, where the military announced large-scale exercises for Sunday and Monday in the north and center of the country. The drills involve air force units and ground forces from the Northern and Central Commands to rehearse scenarios of surprise attacks. President Trump said on Friday that the United States might conduct another military operation against Iran as the conflict approaches its eighth month. A report by The Business Times cited US officials who said American and Israeli forces have prepared plans for new strikes following the midterm elections on November 3, targeting Iranian energy, nuclear, and missile capabilities.