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ON Aug 7, 2026, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye signed the historic Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA) to strengthen collective deterrence against external armed aggression. The agreement provides that an armed attack on one state would be regarded as an attack on all parties to the agreement. Historically, Pakistan has maintained long-standing defence ties with both countries. For example, Turkiye has supplied corvettes to Pakistan, while Pakistan has supplied training aircraft to Turkiye; Saudi Arabia, too, has purchased Turkish drones. Pakistan has also provided training and technical assistance to Saudi forces. Previously, Pakistan has entered into defence and military cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia as well as other GCC countries.
MJDA is grounded in international law. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter recognises the inherent right to individual or collective self-defence when an armed attack occurs against a member state. Article 51, located in Chapter VII of the UN Charter, is the principal exception to the general prohibition on the threat or use of force in international relations established under Article 2(4) of the Charter, which protects the territorial integrity and political independence of states. Crucially, self-defence is triggered only by an “armed attack” establishing a high threshold for the lawful use of force.
