Pakistan to lead 'Islamic Nato' for 3 years; Mecca pact members hold first meet
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have established a joint defense secretariat under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. Pakistan will lead the secretariat for the first three years, with the pact focusing on collective defense and cooperation.
Why it matters
This alliance represents a significant shift in regional security dynamics, creating a new defense bloc among three major Sunni-majority nations.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on Monday agreed to set up a secretariat in Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.According to Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry, the general secretariat will be led by Pakistan in its first phase for three years.This comes as top officials from Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will gather in Istanbul on Monday for the first committee meeting under the joint defence agreement.On August 7, the three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, which brought together the three Sunni Muslim-majority US allies.The pact seeks to strengthen defence cooperation and collective deterrence among the three countries, though…
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in