Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is for defense. It is not meant for attacking anyone.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7. This agreement will help these countries work together to defend themselves. If one of these countries is attacked the other countries will consider it as an attack on them
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif talked to the cabinet on Monday. He reminded them that he signed the agreement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Makkah on Friday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the main goal of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is to bring peace and prosperity to the region. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement will help the countries to make progress and become prosperous.
The purpose of this agreement is definitely not to start any fight. It is for defensive purposes to keep the peace and to make progress in the region he said.
I think this agreement will make the three countries strong and it will also be good for all people he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz congratulated Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir on signing the agreement.
They have been working on this defence pact for many years and it finally happened this Friday the Prime Minister said.
He said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already had a defence agreement, which they signed in September 2025. Pakistan and Turkey have also been working together for decades.
Prime Minister Shehbaz remembered that the people of Pakistan and the army have been protecting the cities of Makkah and Madina for years along with the Saudi forces.
Year they officially recognized this arrangement and now they have signed a proper agreement. The agreement they signed on Friday is an extension of that. Now it includes three countries.
The Foreign Office issued a statement earlier in the day in which Ishaq Dar congratulated the nation on the signing of the agreement. He repeated what he said on Sunday that the pact is defensive and not against any country.
Ishaq Dar also said that if one of the three countries is attacked it will be considered an attack on all three, which is allowed under the United Nations Charter, Article 51, for self-defence.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is a deal. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which has 57 members thinks it is a step. Kuwait, Bahrain and Somalia like the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Iran also had some things to say about the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. Iran said it wants to work with countries, in the region to make sure everyone is safe. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is what Iran is talking about when it says it wants to work with other countries.
AJK govt to offer dialogue to willing groups once in power
The Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif talked about Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He said the government should talk to the people who are protesting. These people are upset about the 12 seats that are reserved for refugees and some other issues. This has been going on for two months. It is a very tense situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister said that when the new government takes over in Azad Jammu and Kashmir they will talk to the protesters. The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, which is the Prime Ministers party is already winning a lot of seats in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister said that people who want to cause trouble will not be allowed to do.. People who want to talk about the issues peacefully will be given a chance to do so. He said that in any society people cannot be allowed to break the law. If people have any problems they should talk about them. Find a solution.
The Prime Minister said that the government has proof that some people are trying to cause trouble in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. They are doing this because someone is telling them to do. Before the elections the government had a meeting with all the parties in Muzaffarabad. All the parties were there except for one.
The Prime Minister said that they talked about all the issues in that meeting. They told the people who were upset about the refugee seats to wait until the elections were over. Then they could talk about their problems in the assembly. This would be a way to solve the problem according to the rules of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The Prime Minister said that even though they talked about all the issues some people still did not agree. They kept insisting on their demands. This made the situation worse.
The Prime Minister talked about the elections that are happening in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir have voted for his party, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz. Far the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz has won 24 seats out of 45.
The Prime Minister said that based on the results it seems like the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz is going to win the majority of the seats. He said that this is a vote of trust in the leadership of Mian Nawaz Sharif. He hopes that when they form a government, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir they will be able to make progress and make Azad Jammu and Kashmir a place again. He thanked the people who voted for his party.
‘Terrorists are being eliminated around the clock’
During the federal cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also addressed the ongoing terrorism situation in Pakistan, highlighting the recent loss of lives in terrorist incidents.
He pointed out that terrorist elements have intensified their activities in “some areas of Pakistan in the past few days.”
The prime minister referred back to the Swat suicide bombing on August 2, which claimed 17 lives, along with the martyrdom of Deputy Superintendent of Police Diyar Khan during an attack on a police checkpost in Hangu.
He honored the sacrifices made by security personnel, particularly Captain Hamza Akram and Major Hafiz Ihsan Elahi, both of whom lost their lives during operations carried out in Hangu and North Waziristan respectively.
PM Shehbaz stated that “Fitna Al Khawarij are being annihilated day and night,” pointing towards militants linked with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
He further remarked, “These sacrifices will not go in vain and will bear fruition. One day will come when Pakistan will once again be free from terrorism and will move rapidly towards peace and progress.”
The premier also conveyed his sorrow over the passing of PML-N MNA Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar, calling him a “longtime friend.”
He added, “He was a person who was a supporter in bad times,” and shared that both he and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif had known Channar since 1985. The cabinet members also offered prayers for the elevated status of the martyrs as well as for Channar.
