Security alliance
Makkah Defence Pact
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is a mutual-defence pact signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on 7 August 2026, under which an armed attack against one signatory is treated as an attack against all three. This hub tracks the pact’s activation, the forces and decisions behind it, and the Houthi campaign and wider Middle East conflict that drew Pakistan into the Gulf’s defence.
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9 October 2026PIA suspends Riyadh flights after Houthi attack kills three at Saudi airport
PIA suspended flights to Riyadh on 9 October 2026 after Houthi strikes on King Khalid airport killed three people and damaged a Saudia aircraft.
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Pakistan / Politics & GovernancePakistan rejects NYT report that PAF jets are striking Houthis
Pakistan's Information Ministry on 8 October 2026 rejected as 'fake and fabricated' a New York Times report that PAF aircraft were being used against Yemen's Houthis.
International — Region / International — RegionTrump backs Pakistan-Türkiye military support for Saudi Arabia as Houthis hit Riyadh and Abha airports
On 8 October 2026, Trump endorsed the Pakistan-Türkiye decision to deploy forces to Saudi Arabia under the Makkah pact, after Houthi attacks on Riyadh and Abha airports.
International — Region / International — RegionMakkah Alliance agrees rapid force deployment in Saudi Arabia
The Makkah Alliance's committee decided on 5 October to implement collective defence and deploy agreed forces rapidly in Saudi Arabia, and named its first secretary-general.
International — Region / International — RegionYemen government declares all-out war to retake Houthi-held territory
Yemen's Rashad al-Alimi announced military operations on 5 October to retake all territory held by the Houthis, hours after Saudi-led strikes and a Houthi counterstrike on Aramco.
International — Region / International — RegionMakkah defence pact committee convenes in Riyadh on 5 October
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement's committee meets in Riyadh on 5 October with Turkish, Pakistani and Saudi officials as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia continue.
Pakistan / Politics & GovernancePakistan names retired Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood as Makkah pact's first secretary general
DPM Ishaq Dar said on 2 October that more than six countries want to join the Makkah defence pact and announced retired Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood as its first secretary general.
International — Region / International — RegionPakistan, Saudi and Türkiye military chiefs meet in Riyadh under Makkah pact
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye's military chiefs met in Riyadh on 25 September under the Makkah pact, condemning Houthi attacks and reaffirming collective defence.
Pakistan / Politics & GovernancePM Shehbaz tells UN any attempt to divert Pakistan's waters would be an act of war
PM Shehbaz Sharif told the UN General Assembly that any attempt to divert Pakistan's Indus waters would be treated as an act of war, and pressed for open Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
Pakistan / Politics & GovernancePakistan's military vows to defend Saudi Arabia 'to any extent' as Houthi attacks escalate
DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry says Pakistan will go 'to any extent' to defend Saudi Arabia, days after a Houthi drone strike killed a resident in Taif.
Pakistan / Politics & GovernanceAhsan Iqbal ties Makkah Pact gains to an 'economic reset'
At a University of Lahore seminar, the planning minister said Pakistan's defence and diplomatic gains will not hold without economic reform.
Pakistan / Politics & GovernancePakistan to lead Makkah defence alliance secretariat for three years
The Foreign Office said on 31 August 2026 that Pakistan will provide the first secretary general of the Makkah Defence Alliance, whose secretariat will be based in Saudi Arabia.