Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday announced over six more countries are interested in joining the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement between Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after his return to Pakistan following the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, he reiterated that the pact is defensive in nature and not intended for offensive purposes. He recalled the first meeting under the agreement occurred on Aug. 31, adding Pakistan had nominated Lt. Gen. Nauman Mahmood (ret.) as the first secretary general of the Makkah Defense Alliance, describing him as a “very good and pious officer.”
According to the foreign minister, the signatories of the Makkah agreement would convene for an emergency meeting next week to review the latest situation in Saudi Arabia, adding the kingdom had faced 17 to 18 attacks from Yemen’s Houthis. “We are bound to defend Saudi Arabia,” he said, adding the U.N. Charter also allowed such alliances to take action. He noted NATO was operating on a similar principle.
He noted that Pakistan had condemned the attack on a power plant in Medina, describing it as “not acceptable.” He said he had held detailed discussions with Iran over the Houthi attacks and reminded Tehran of Pakistan’s obligations under the trilateral agreement. Iran, he said, denied having any links “both the Houthis and the Iraqi militia.”
On the Strait of Hormuz, Dar said Pakistan believed there should be no fee or service charge for ships crossing the strategic waterway. He said both Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wanted the matter to end “somehow,” adding all parties were seeking to maximize their gains.
On Afghanistan, the minister said Pakistan had “good wishes” for the neighboring nation, but wanted Kabul to ensure its territory was not used against Pakistan. “They have to show that action has been taken against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Balochistan Liberation Army and Fitna al-Hindustan,” he said.
The foreign minister said Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan had been closed since October 2025, regretting that Pakistan was aware that crops had been destroyed as a result.
UNGA tour
Referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address at the UNGA, Dar said the premier had reiterated Pakistan’s “longstanding position” on Palestine and presented its stance on Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the context of the 2025 conflict with India and the issue of cross-border terrorism.
He said the prime minister had underlined that Pakistan had played a “crucial role” in bringing the U.S. and Iran to the negotiating table after 47 years, with talks held in Istanbul on April 10 and 11. The negotiations comprised six sessions spread over 21 hours, followed by an agreement signed on June 18.
The prime minister also highlighted the impact of developments around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, particularly their effect on fuel prices, further noting the government had approved domestic relief measures despite financial constraints and the IMF program. “Despite all the financial constraints and the IMF program, the relief that we could provide was approved by the prime minister,” he said.
Sharif’s speech also informed the international community of the “losses suffered” by Pakistan due to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, he said, describing the address as a comprehensive presentation of Pakistan’s diplomatic stance. He emphasized that it received repeated rounds of applause during the session. “I believe it was a very successful speech. Those who watched it live would have seen that I probably have not seen a speech by a head of state in which there was applause so many times,” he maintained.
Dar noted Pakistan had completed its two-year term as an elected member of the U.N. Security Council on Sept. 30. “Pakistan played its role over the past two years in promoting multilateralism. I believe the international recognition of this role was reflected in the fact that, after 12 years, the resolution we presented on multilateralism and the peaceful settlement of disputes was unanimously adopted by the U.N. Security Council,” he said.
On the sidelines of the UNGA, said the foreign minister, the prime minister held several high-level bilateral meetings, including with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who accepted Pakistan’s invitation to visit the country before the end of his tenure on Dec. 31. He said the prime minister had also met his Kuwaiti counterpart; the president of Kenya; the chairman of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the president of Iran; the president of Syria; the prime minister of Bangladesh; and the prime minister of Lebanon. “A Pakistani delegation led by the prime minister held meetings with the presidents of both the European Commission and the European Council. A detailed meeting was also held with the managing director of the IMF,” he added.
Dar said he represented Pakistan at meetings of the OIC contact groups on Jammu and Kashmir and Afghanistan, and also participated in consultations involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Egypt under the Makkah pact. “On Sept. 25 in Riyadh, under the Makkah Accord, there was a meeting of the three permanent strategic political defense committees,” he said, adding the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye met in New York on Sept. 24, followed by a meeting of the three countries’ army chiefs in Riyadh on Sept. 25.
Dar noted that Pakistan, as chair of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, would host its meeting in November. “We are the chairman of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers. The SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting will therefore be held in Pakistan in November,” he said.