LAHORE: Leaders of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) have welcomed Pakistan’s appointment as Secretary General of the Makkah Common Defence Pact for a three-year term, describing it as recognition of the country’s defence capabilities, experience and role in the Muslim world.
PMML President Khalid Masood Sindhu and Secretary General Saifullah Qasuri, along with senior party leaders, said in a joint statement that the establishment of the Makkah Common Defence Pact Secretariat in Saudi Arabia was a welcome development.
They said Pakistan’s appointment to the key position reflected the confidence placed in its defence expertise and strategic capabilities, and called the responsibility entrusted to the country a matter of pride for the entire nation.
The leaders said enhanced defence cooperation among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye — including joint research and development, defence technology production and greater coordination between their armed forces — would contribute to regional peace, stability and collective defence.
They said the Makkah Pact would provide a framework for deeper strategic and defence cooperation among the three countries and could play an important role in protecting peace, security and sovereignty across the Muslim world.
The three states named in the statement each bring distinct capabilities to such an arrangement. Türkiye has built an export-oriented defence industrial base, particularly in unmanned systems. Saudi Arabia has pursued localisation of defence manufacturing as part of its economic diversification agenda. Pakistan brings operational experience and a domestic production base in conventional systems, aircraft and munitions.
The PMML leadership called for the inclusion of other Muslim countries in the pact to develop a stronger and more effective collective defence mechanism, arguing that a wider membership would strengthen collective security and cooperation.
They expressed confidence that Pakistan would fulfil its role through effective diplomatic and defence capabilities, and said the party supported every initiative aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s defence, dignity and national interests.
Collective defence arrangements among Muslim-majority states have a long and largely unfulfilled history, with several previous frameworks producing secretariats and declarations but limited operational integration. The distinguishing features cited in the PMML statement — a permanent secretariat, a named secretary general with a fixed term, and explicit reference to joint research and production — describe a structure with more institutional weight than a consultative forum.
Appointments of this kind carry symbolic value in a period of economic strain, and political parties across Pakistan’s spectrum have historically been quick to endorse them. The Lahore Times notes that the statement reflects the position of the PMML and does not constitute an official government account of the appointment’s terms.
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