Pakistan Pushes Muslim Nations To Join 'Islamic NATO' Alliance

Pakistan has urged Muslim-majority countries to set aside bilateral differences and consider joining its new defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, in a move that could expand the emerging security arrangement into a broader Islamic military alliance. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif argued that the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement should not remain limited to the three signatories and should eventually include other countries.

Speaking to Geo News, Asif proposed that Muslim nations put aside transactional disputes and bilateral disagreements to cooperate through a common security framework. He described the pact as something that should expand beyond its current membership, drawing a comparison with the collective defence principle associated with NATO.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on Friday. The pact comes amid heightened regional tensions and concerns over Iranian missile attacks affecting Gulf countries, with the three nations seeking closer defence and security cooperation. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has described the arrangement as technically similar to NATO's Article 5 mutual defence provision.

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Under the agreement, an attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all three. However, details concerning the precise nature and scale of assistance remain subject to further consultations. Turkey has indicated that member states would determine the degree, form and format of support required in the event of an attack, while the three countries bring different strategic capabilities to the partnership.

The possibility of expanding the pact has also been raised by Turkish officials. Fidan has indicated that President Erdogan favours a broader alliance and identified Egypt as one potential candidate, among other countries. He also maintained that the arrangement was not directed against Iran or any other specific country, describing it instead as a general commitment to supporting the security of its members.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has similarly described the agreement as defensive in nature and open to other countries that accept its principles. He stressed that the Makkah Accord does not replace existing bilateral or multilateral agreements involving the participating nations. The initiative therefore marks an effort by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to deepen strategic cooperation while leaving the door open for a wider regional security framework.

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