Pakistan discusses regional security with Canada, Kuwait after Makkah defense pact
Hasaan Ali Khan
Published Date: August 10, 2026
Published On: Arab News
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed regional security with his Canadian and Kuwaiti counterparts, discussing Pakistan’s newly signed joint defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict in the Middle East.
The conversations came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Kingdom to sign the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, under which an attack on any one of the three countries would be considered an attack on all.
“DPM/FM shared with FM Anand the essence of the Agreement and the joint resolve of the three countries to contribute to regional peace, stability and security,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in a post on X.
“They also discussed the evolving situation in the US-Iran context,” it added.
The foreign office said Dar and Anand exchanged views on the broader regional situation and that the Pakistani deputy prime minister also raised developments in occupied East Jerusalem, including a recent ministerial meeting on Jerusalem held in Jordan.
Anand visited Islamabad last month as Pakistan and Canada sought to deepen bilateral engagement, with the two countries agreeing to strengthen cooperation in areas including trade and investment.
Dar thanked the Canadian foreign minister for her visit, as both ministers welcomed their frequent exchanges and agreed to remain closely engaged on issues of shared interest, according to the statement.
The latest conversation came shortly after Dar sought to clarify the scope of the Makkah agreement amid discussion over the implications of the new collective-defense arrangement.
“The Makkah Accord is purely defensive in nature,” he said in a post on X. “It is not targeted against any country and its sole purpose is to further strengthen our ongoing efforts toward peace, stability and prosperity in the wider region.”
Dar said the agreement did not abrogate or replace existing bilateral or multilateral agreements involving the three countries or their agreements with other states and organizations.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already have a bilateral Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed in September 2025, while Türkiye is a member of NATO.
The Makkah Accord also remains open to other countries in the region willing to uphold its fundamental principles and resolve differences through mutual respect, cooperation and peaceful means.
Separately, Kuwait’s state news agency said on Monday that Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah received a telephone call from Dar in which they discussed the regional situation.
Pakistan’s foreign office has yet to issue a statement on the phone call or the details of the conversation.
The Makkah Accord was signed amid the US-Iran conflict, which has engulfed parts of the Middle East and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea.