By Junaid Qaiser
International alliances are often judged by the ceremony that accompanies their birth. Leaders sign agreements, statements of solidarity follow, and cameras capture the moment. But the real measure of an alliance comes later, when circumstances demand that political commitments acquire practical meaning.
The urgent meeting of the three countries’ military chiefs in Riyadh is a significant indication that the agreement is moving beyond diplomatic symbolism. As Saudi Arabia faces intensified missile and drone attacks, the three partners have begun discussing how the commitments made in Makkah can translate into practical security cooperation.
The Riyadh meeting is an early indication that those mechanisms are beginning to emerge.
The sequence of events is revealing. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye’s foreign ministers met in New York and agreed to convene an urgent meeting of the military chiefs. Soon afterwards, Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Turkiye’s Chief of General Staff Gen Selçuk Bayraktaroglu and Saudi Chief of General Staff Gen Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili met in Riyadh.
This was not simply another diplomatic consultation. It brought the senior military leadership of the three founding members together at a time when the Kingdom was confronting a serious security challenge.
The circumstances also underline how modern warfare has changed. Ballistic missiles and drones can threaten civilian populations, economic facilities and critical infrastructure without a conventional ground offensive. Defence cooperation therefore requires more than traditional military planning. Intelligence sharing, early-warning systems, technological cooperation, joint assessments and rapid communication have become essential components of national and regional security.
For Saudi Arabia, the immediate priority is protecting its people, territory, economic infrastructure and holy sites. For the wider region, the priority is preventing individual attacks from developing into a broader cycle of escalation.
A functioning defence partnership requires regular military consultations, institutional structures, contingency planning and clear channels of communication. The three countries have already begun laying some of these foundations.
The first Strategic Political and Defence Committee meeting was held in Istanbul on August 31. The three governments subsequently agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Riyadh, with Pakistan providing the secretary general for the first three-year term. Islamabad has appointed retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood to the position.
Pakistan’s role deserves particular attention. Islamabad is not simply a signatory to the agreement; it has accepted responsibility for helping establish its institutional structure. The appointment of a Pakistani secretary general places Pakistan in an important position during the alliance’s formative years and provides an opportunity to contribute to its organisational development.
Field Marshal Asim Munir’s participation in the Riyadh consultations further demonstrates Islamabad’s direct engagement at the highest military level.
For Pakistan, the relationship with Saudi Arabia carries strategic, economic and people-to-people significance. The Kingdom remains an important partner for Islamabad, while relations between Pakistan and Turkiye have also expanded across defence, trade and diplomacy. Bringing these three relationships into a structured security framework creates a new platform for cooperation.
There is also a wider regional dimension. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are three influential Muslim-majority countries with significant diplomatic, economic and military capabilities. Their cooperation does not have to remain limited to the immediate security challenge. Over time, the Makkah framework could support collaboration in defence technology, counterterrorism, maritime security, crisis management and protection of critical infrastructure.
For Pakistan, this creates both an opportunity and a responsibility. Islamabad helped establish the framework and has accepted a leading institutional role during its formative period. It now has an opportunity to demonstrate that Pakistan can contribute not only to regional diplomacy but also to practical regional security architecture.
The significance of the Makkah Agreement will ultimately be measured by what its members build between crises, not simply by what they say during them.
The Riyadh meeting has shown that the pact is beginning to move in that direction. Its secretariat is being established, its leadership has been appointed, its committees and working groups are taking shape, and its military chiefs have begun consultations in response to a real security challenge.
That is how credibility is built: through preparation, coordination and consistent commitments.
The Makkah Pact began as a political declaration. Its future significance will depend on whether Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye can transform that declaration into a functioning and sustainable security partnership.
The process has now begun. The next challenge is to turn declaration into deterrence.
