Saudi Arabia, Pakistan & Turkey sign 'Mecca' pact for mutual defence; India reacts

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey Friday signed a trilateral defence agreement aimed at strengthening their collective security as the conflict involving Iran continues to fuel instability across the West Asia.The agreement was signed following a joint defence summit attended by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, who attended after performing the Umrah pilgrimage in the city.According to Pakistan's foreign ministry, the pact is "guided by the longstanding historical ties among the three states, based on the enduring bonds of brotherhood and Islamic solidarity that unite them, and building upon their shared strategic interests and longstanding defence cooperation".The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all, they said in a joint statement.The Pakistani ministry said the agreement…