What Pakistan's defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey means for the Middle East

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The deal, which establishes that an armed attack on one signatory will be treated as an attack on all three, risks drawing Islamabad deeper into Middle Eastern rivalries Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (right), Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (centre) and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) meet in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on 7 August 2026 to sign a joint defence agreement (Handout/Turkish Presidency Press Office/AFP) Off A new security pact between Pakistan, Saud