Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:04pm on 16 Sep 2026,Wednesday International
Pakistan’s military said its defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey could be opened to other countries, while insisting the pact is defensive and does not target Iran. Army spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said additional countries could join if they shared the three founding members’ approach to non-aggression, non-interference and collective deterrence. He said any decision to expand the alliance would be taken by the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey. Pakistan’s military is also seeking to clarify the agreement’s purpose, stressing that it has “no regional aspirations” amid questions over how it would operate if a member were attacked. The pact was signed in Mecca in August. (PC: X)
