Assalam-o-Alaikum my dear friends! How are you all today? This morning my father sat in our veranda with his newspaper and his old glasses on his nose, the way he always does. He looked up at me and said, “Maryam, yeh Saudi wala khabar dekhi?” I nodded, because honestly, I had been reading about it since last night. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have just ratified the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. Sounds heavy, I know. But do not worry — I will explain it the way my father explained it to me. Simple. Warm. Like tea talk.
First, a quick hug hello to my new readers. My name is Maryam, and I write big news in small, simple words, so even your nani can read them with her morning chai. Let us start.
Makkah Joint Defence Agreement: What Was Announced on Friday
Yesterday, on Friday, October 23, Pakistan’s Foreign Office made an announcement. The spokesperson, Sajjad Haider Khan, spoke at the weekly press briefing in Islamabad. He said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have completed the ratification of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. This is the biggest news of the week about the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, because ratification is the step that turns promises into real, legal commitments.
Ratification is a big official word. It means this: the papers are signed, the legal steps are done, and now the agreement is truly active between the two countries. Only one step is left. Turkiye, the third country in this pact, is still finishing its own legal process. Its parliament will approve it, and then all three will be fully in.
What Is This Pact? The Story Started in August
This agreement is not new. It was signed on August 7, in the holy city of Makkah. Three leaders sat together: our Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The heart of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is one simple line. It says: an armed attack on any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack on all three. So if someone attacks Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye will stand with it. If someone attacks Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye will stand with us.
The Foreign Office was very clear about one thing. This pact is defensive, not aggressive. It follows the United Nations Charter’s rule about the right of self-defence. It is not aimed at any one country. And they said there are no hidden clauses. What is written is what it is.
Why Now? The Story Behind the Timing
Timing matters, my friends. In the last few weeks, Saudi Arabia has been attacked by the Houthi group from Yemen. Missiles and drones. Just recently, a cruise missile heading toward Madinah — one of Islam’s holiest cities — was intercepted. Can you imagine how that news lands in every Pakistani home? Madinah is close to all our hearts.
Pakistan has already condemned these attacks strongly. Our Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also said it clearly: Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia in protecting its security. And on Friday, in Istanbul, Minister Dar met Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. They sat together, reviewed the Middle East situation, talked about Palestine, and again condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. They promised close coordination — within this very defence agreement. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is no longer just a signed paper from August. It is becoming something alive.
The same day, something even bigger happened in Istanbul. Top diplomats from the European countries — Britain, France, and Germany — met with ministers from Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Egypt. It was the first time these two groups sat together. They talked about Yemen, the tension between the US and Iran, the Palestine issue, the Russia-Ukraine war, and keeping ships safe in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Big room, big people, big problems.
My Uncle in Saudi and Why This News Touches My Heart
Let me tell you something personal. My late uncle worked in Saudi Arabia for eleven years. He was in Dammam, working as a driver for a small company. Every month he sent money home, and that money paid for my school fees, for my mother’s medicines, and once for a new cooler when the old one died in a June heatwave in Faisalabad.
When he called home, he always said the same thing: “Saudi is our second home. They respect us.” Millions of Pakistani families have the same story. Someone’s son, someone’s husband, someone’s brother — working in Jeddah, in Riyadh, in Makkah. Sending money. Building a life.
So when I read that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement has been ratified, I did not just see politics. I saw my uncle’s face. This agreement says something our hearts already knew: these two countries stand together. Like family.
What Does This Pact Mean for Us, the Ordinary People?
Okay, let us be honest. What does a defence pact change in my life and yours? Here is how I see it, plainly:
First, security feels stronger. When three countries promise to stand together, troublemakers think twice. A quieter region means a calmer world for all of us. And calm is good for business, for prices, for everything.
Second, our bond with Saudi Arabia grows. Saudi Arabia is already special for us — for faith, for work, for help in hard times. This pact makes the bond official on paper, not just in hearts. That is what the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement really is — friendship, written down.
Third, jobs and respect. A Pakistani worker in Saudi Arabia walks a little taller when his country is Saudi Arabia’s official defence partner. Small thing, but it matters.
And one thing I want to say gently about the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement: do not worry that this means war. The Foreign Office said it many times — this pact is defensive. It is like a shield, not a sword. Pakistan, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia will decide together, as a group, what help to give if something bad ever happens. No one is jumping into anyone’s fight alone.
A Few More Things You Should Know
The three countries already have a group for the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement — the Strategic Political and Defence Committee. They met on October 5 to discuss the next steps: how to make the pact actually work in real life, not just on paper. Those talks are still going on.
Also, in Pakistan, decisions about military help under such agreements are made by the country’s executive leadership. That is how the system works here.
And the door of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is not closed to others. The pact stays open. Other Muslim or regional countries can join too, if they respect the same ideas: mutual respect, cooperation, and solving problems through peace. Egypt was already in the room in Istanbul on Friday.
You know, I sometimes wonder what my nani would say about all this. She would probably say, “Dost zyada hona achi baat hai” — having more friends is a good thing. And she would be right. That is the whole story, in one line.
Take care, my lovely readers. Stay kind, stay curious, and say a small dua for peace in our region. If you have questions or just want to say salaam, visit my Contact Us page. I read every message with a smile.
Sources: The details about the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in this article come from three reports: Beflaz (quoting Dawn) on the Foreign Office ratification announcement; Anadolu Agency via Europe Says on the August signing and Khan’s briefing; and Arab News TV via GeoXAxis on the Istanbul meetings. For background, see Wikipedia: Saudi Arabia.
Related on Pak Unfiltered: Pakistan Stands Firm with Saudi Arabia — Earlier FO Briefing Explained | Egypt Pledges to Defend Saudi Arabia Against Houthi Attacks | Pakistan Suspends Trade with Iran: Border Closed, LPG Prices Hit
