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Makkah defence pact committee convenes in Riyadh today amid regional concerns

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Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Chief of Army Staff & Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir will visit Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today for attending the Meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

The meeting will also be attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Defence and the Chiefs of General Staff of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Republic of Tiirkiye.

The summit will assess the recent developments in the region and the continued collaboration in the context of the Makkah Agreement.

Pakistan’s participation in the meeting is a clear indication of Pakistan’s willingness to continue contributing toward regional peace and stability.

A new event in the region has come at a time of Riyadh meeting as Yemen’s president has announced a large military assault against the Houthi group.

The Yemeni president has said a large-scale military effort will be undertaken to reclaim areas now held by the Houthi group.

Developments in Yemen and the wider security context have increased the relevance of the Riyadh summit. Regional security and defence cooperation are expected to be the main topics of discussion.

Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in August 2026, under which the three nations committed themselves to enhancing collective security, boosting defence cooperation and promoting peace and stability in and beyond the region.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence held at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah on Aug. 7, 2026, following the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Senior military leaders from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye have agreed to enhance defence cooperation and intelligence sharing following strikes last month targeting the holy city of Makkah and Saudi civilian and industrial facilities.

The meeting of the chiefs of defence forces and chiefs of general staff of the nations parties to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement was held in Riyadh on Friday, a statement from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The commanders discussed the security situation and challenges facing Saudi Arabia and “strongly condemned” the attacks targeting Makkah and civilian and commercial facilities, the statement said.

They also lauded the Saudi military forces for their vigilance and professionalism in protecting citizens and securing the kingdom’s security.

The three countries discussed ways to enhance collaboration between their armies including sharing of intelligence, military coordination and integration of military capabilities, ISPR said.

The commanders also underlined the long-standing connections and mutual trust between the three countries, adding that the Riyadh summit highlighted the strength of their defence alliance.

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Mohsin Naqvi, KP governor agree on constitutional role to protect province from terrorism

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Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi have agreed to assume the role of constitutional institutions to defend the province from terrorism and law and order.

Naqvi met Governor Kundi during an important meeting at Governor House Peshawar on Sunday. The Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police attended the meeting.

The conference discussed the political and security scenario in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including law and order situation and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march, an official release said.

The governor and the interior minister pledged to use their constitutional position to assist defend the province against terrorism.

In case the president and prime minister felt that the governor’s rule or emergency was needed, the Governor House will play its constitutional duty, the statement added.

The meeting also examined the utilisation of state resources during the PTI long march. Using a government helicopter or other state resources for the march would contradict court decisions, the statement said.

As per sources, the top cop of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed the interior minister about the security status of the province.

The IGP said the police were on high alert in several sections of the province amid uncertainties. Police personnel from several districts had been dispatched to the police lines and a plan was in place to cope with any emergency situation.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi agreed that constitutional institutions should play their duty to defend the province from terrorists and preserve law and order.

Naqvi met Governor Kundi during an important meeting at Governor House Peshawar on Sunday. The Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police attended the meeting.

The conference discussed the political and security scenario in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including law and order situation and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march, an official release said.

The governor and the interior minister pledged to use their constitutional position to assist defend the province against terrorism.

In case the president and prime minister felt that the governor’s rule or emergency was needed, the Governor House will play its constitutional duty, the statement added.

The meeting also examined the utilisation of state resources during the PTI long march. Using a government helicopter or other state resources for the march would contradict court decisions, the statement said.

As per sources, the top cop of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed the interior minister about the security status of the province.

The IGP said the police were on high alert in several sections of the province amid uncertainties. Police personnel from different districts were called to police lines and a strategy was created to tackle any emergency situation.

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UN secretary general set to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday

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 United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday morning.

During his visit, he will have meetings in Islamabad with senior government officials, including with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. He will also meet with President Asif Ali Zardari.

The Secretary-General was last in Pakistan in 2022, when he visited regions impacted by the devastating floods. This time, he will again visit the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), where he will see firsthand the progress Pakistan has made in strengthening its preparedness and resilience since the floods.

In Islamabad, the Secretary-General will visit the headquarters of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan, otherwise known as UNMOGIP.

The visit will also be an opportunity for the Secretary-General to discuss Pakistan’s diplomatic and mediation efforts between the United States and Iran, including its constructive role in supporting negotiations between the two countries.

The Secretary-General is expected to be back in New York on Thursday.

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Khawaja Asif probes PTI on terrorist policy, asks eight questions

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Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to answer eight questions on its attitude and policies on terrorism and security in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Asif stated in a statement on X, PTI has often times claimed that they were not allowed to create a policy against terrorism. He claimed the claim prompted him to ask the party eight basic questions.

Asif questioned who had stopped PTI from adopting a counter-terrorism policy during its 13-year rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its tenure in power at the federal level. He also questioned whatever policy had prevented the party from adopting the National Action Plan and holding Apex Committee sessions.

He asked what policy was required to brand terrorists terrorists, condemn terrorists coming from Afghanistan, and openly stand with the armed forces against attacks on the military and civilians.

The defence minister also questioned as to why the KP government had not explicitly condemned the recent drone assaults from Afghanistan in Kohat and what policy stood in the way of it.

Asif also asked how many times the KP government had complained or condemned by name the Afghan regime, alleged cross-border violations, fire on Pakistani security stations and troops, infiltration and direct or indirect support to terrorists.

Asif questioned KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi about the practical efforts that were taken in the last 13 years to eliminate the unlawful economic activities which allegedly helped terrorists in the province, including extortion, smuggling and the trade in non-customs-paid automobiles.

His sixth inquiry was on security forces combating terrorism. Asif enquired how many times Afridi had visited security forces at their positions to show solidarity and how many times he had visited victims of terrorism in KP to support the affected families.

Asif also asked as to why the KP administration distorted the state’s narrative against terrorism by varied techniques, as per him, and why it did not refer to and condemn terrorists as “Khawarij”.

In his eighth point, the defence minister stated that throughout 13 years of PTI government in KP, corruption had been pushed and accused the provincial leadership of squandering public resources. He alluded to charges by PTI members against each other on social media and an allegation by a lady member of the National Assembly about alleged misappropriation of party finances received from outside and asked the party to answer.

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