CDF Munir, New Saudi Envoy Express Satisfaction Over Makkah Pact Progress at GHQ Meeting: ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir met the newly appointed Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy, at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Monday, with both sides expressing satisfaction over the progress made under the trilateral Makkah defence agreement, the military's media wing said.

Main News Report

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Monday that the ambassador called on CDF Munir at GHQ, where matters of mutual interest and regional security dynamics came under discussion.

"Both the dignitaries expressed satisfaction over the progress made under the framework of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and underscored the importance of strengthening defence collaboration, institutional linkages and strategic coordination," the statement read.

CDF Munir congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and expressed confidence that his tenure would further strengthen the longstanding fraternal ties between Islamabad and Riyadh, which he described as "rooted in shared faith, mutual trust and strategic partnership".

• Who met: Field Marshal Asim Munir and Saudi Ambassador Dr Rajeh Tami Albugamy
• Where and when: GHQ, Rawalpindi, on Monday
• What was said: Satisfaction over Makkah pact progress; defence collaboration, institutional linkages and strategic coordination to be deepened
• The envoy: Albugamy assumed his diplomatic responsibilities in Islamabad last Thursday

Background Context

Islamabad and Riyadh have signed two defence pacts aimed at collective deterrence: the bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement and the Makkah Joint Defence Alliance, which also includes Turkiye, Dawn reported. The Makkah pact, signed on August 7, treats an attack against any one of the signatories as an attack against all.

Earlier this month, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye convened an emergency meeting under the Makkah alliance and agreed to deploy military forces and capabilities rapidly in the kingdom - a development that came against the backdrop of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The GHQ meeting follows an interview aired on Sunday in which the military's spokesman said Pakistan is providing "whatever support is needed" to defend Saudi Arabia amid attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on the kingdom.

Reactions and Statements

The Saudi envoy also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week, who reaffirmed Pakistan's support for Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its "sovereignty, security and territorial integrity" amid the recent escalation in Houthi attacks, according to Dawn.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, meanwhile, underscored the longstanding fraternal and strategic ties between Islamabad and Riyadh when he met Albugamy, reaffirming the two countries' "shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation for mutual progress and prosperity".

Why This News Matters

• The pact is moving from paper to machinery: Satisfaction over "progress made under the framework" - not just the agreement itself - signals the alliance is being built out institutionally.
• Timing matters: The meeting comes amid continuing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's public commitment to provide "whatever support is needed" to defend the kingdom.
• A new envoy, a reset of ties: Albugamy's rounds of Islamabad - the prime minister, the foreign minister, and now the military leadership - mark the start of his tenure with defence ties at the top of the agenda.
• Regional security in focus: With the two pacts aimed at collective deterrence, the discussions at GHQ carry weight for the wider Gulf and Middle East security picture.

Future Developments

Attention will now turn to how the emergency meeting's decisions - including the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in the kingdom - are implemented, and whether further high-level visits between the three allies follow.

Any escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, or fresh public statements from the envoy's office or ISPR, will determine how quickly the alliance's commitments are tested in practice.

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