Pakistan is set to take the first three-year leadership of the secretariat established under a new defence agreement with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. The agreement, signed in Makkah on August 7, aims to strengthen defence coordination, intelligence sharing, military cooperation and regional security among the three countries.
Under the arrangement, the secretariat will coordinate decisions and help implement the growing defence partnership. Leadership is expected to later pass to Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
The pact includes a collective-security principle under which an armed attack on one member would be regarded as an attack on all three. The framework also covers defence technology, unmanned systems, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence, joint military exercises and potential cooperation in defence production.
Pakistan’s initial leadership role could increase its influence in regional security diplomacy, particularly given its longstanding defence relationships with both Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
