Pakistan says the Mecca Pact could promote peace through deterrence
Pakistan’s Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal and Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan called the Mecca Pact an important strategic step at a seminar at the University of Lahore. As Dawn reports, Khan expressed hope that the agreement would promote peace in the region through deterrence.
Economic reset
Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan had made significant progress in defense and diplomacy, but this could not be maintained without strengthening the economy and putting domestic affairs in order. According to him, without economic strength, defense and diplomatic achievements gradually lose their effectiveness.
The minister called on the country to focus on the economy and carry out an “economic reset.” He noted that amid rapid changes, the ability to renew itself and adapt to new realities is necessary for survival. As an example, Iqbal cited major technology companies that lost their positions because they were unable to adapt to change.
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Statements by seminar participants
Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said that the agreement sends a signal of strength and unity among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri called the Mecca Pact a deterrence mechanism intended to protect the integrity and sovereignty of these three states.
Former National Security Adviser Nasir Janjua said that the global balance of power was changing and called for greater regional unity as a basis for stability. Former Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani noted that the pact should be viewed in the context of the changing strategic situation in the Middle East.
University of Lahore Chairman Awais Raoof described the agreement as defensive and suggested that it could mark the beginning of a new regional security structure. He also said that several other countries had expressed interest in joining it.
