The Foreign Office confirmed on Friday that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have completed their ratification processes for the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA), while Türkiye is undertaking the requisite legal procedures for the agreement’s ratification. “Each country follows its own constitutional and legal procedures for the approval and ratification of international agreements,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said during the question and answer session after the weekly press briefing held in Islamabad. The spokesperson said Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had completed their ratification processes, while Türkiye was pursuing the requisite procedures in accordance with its legal framework. Asked whether the agreement contained any undisclosed clauses, particularly in view of Pakistan’s separate defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, the spokesperson said the MJDA comprised 16 articles and contained no hidden provisions. 🔊 Transcript of the Weekly Press Briefing by the Spokesperson https://t.co/IBRZCZjJ2R 🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/APzZlHao5i — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) October 23, 2026 “There are no hidden provisions; the agreement is explicit and clear in its provisions and articles,” Khan stressed, adding that Pakistan endorsed the text released by the Turkish parliament in the media. He further outlined that matters related to the agreement’s ratification and operationalisation are deliberated through the trilateral Strategic Political and Defence Committee, whose latest meeting was held on October 5. Emphasising the defensive nature of the MJDA, Khan said it was consistent with the United Nations Charter and aimed at promoting regional peace, security and stability. In response to a question about an International Crisis Group report warning of the risk of renewed conflict between Pakistan and India amid increased militant activity in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesperson said Islamabad wanted all disputes to be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law. “From Pakistan’s perspective, war is not a solution to any issue,” the spokesperson said, adding that disputes over Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty should be addressed through dialogue and adherence to international law. Read: CDF Munir vows to hit Indian-sponsored terrorist outfits hard ‘wherever they are’ While acknowledging that the issues posed a potential risk of conflict, Khan dispelled chances of another military confrontation with India and reiterated that Pakistan was fully prepared to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. On the possibility of another false-flag operation by India, the spokesperson said it could not be ruled out. “We are prepared for all eventualities,” Khan cautioned. US ties and Indus Waters Treaty The spokesperson also commented on remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to India, in which he referred to Pakistan as a nuclear-armed state and spoke about Washington’s interest in maintaining cooperative relations with Islamabad. The spokesperson said Pakistan enjoyed strong relations with the United States across several domains, including trade, investment and people-to-people contacts. More than $5 billion worth of Pakistani exports went to the United States, the spokesperson said, describing the country as one of Pakistan’s most important export destinations. The spokesperson said India often viewed Pakistan’s relations with other countries through a “zero-sum” lens, arguing that New Delhi’s strategic alignment with Washington cannot prevent the United States from maintaining ties with Islamabad. On the Indus Waters Treaty, the spokesperson urged the international community, including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, international organisations and bodies working in the water sector, to play a role in upholding international law. Although the treaty was signed between Pakistan and India, the spokesperson said its implications extended beyond the two countries because allowing an upper-riparian state to misuse treaty provisions or weaponise water could set a precedent elsewhere. Pakistan would not allow its share of water to be diverted from rivers meant to flow into the country, the spokesperson said, recalling that the National Security Committee had warned that any diversion of Pakistan’s water would be considered an “Act of War”. Revival of SAARC The Foreign Office spokesperson also said Pakistan and the Maldives are members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which has remained inactive for quite some time now. He assailed India for SAARC’s prolonged inactivity, saying the regional organisation had effectively been held hostage since 2016, when a summit scheduled to take place in Islamabad did not go ahead. The spokesperson said countries across the region wanted SAARC to be revived to boost regional trade, connectivity, transit and energy links. He noted that intra-regional trade among members accounted for less than 5% of their overall trade, describing the region as one of the least economically integrated in the world. “A functional SAARC would benefit all countries in the region rather than just Pakistan.” Relations with India Pakistan rejected what it described as “baseless and unwarranted assertions” by India’s Ministry of External Affairs regarding resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir adopted by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), while expressing grave concern over an eviction notice issued to a historic mosque in New Delhi. Speaking at the Foreign Office’s weekly press briefing, spokesperson Khan said the resolutions adopted at the 52nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Baghdad reflected the collective and longstanding position of member states on the Kashmir dispute. He said the OIC’s position was firmly grounded in relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and that the organisation had rejected India’s unilateral measures to alter the internationally recognised disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir. The OIC had also called on the international community, including the UNSC, to take effective measures to implement the relevant resolutions, he stated. “The organisation’s continued principled support is an important reaffirmation that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains an internationally recognised dispute,” he added. Also Read: Security forces kill 10 Indian-sponsored terrorists in Gwadar operations: ISPR Describing India’s portrayal of the OIC’s collective position as misleading and dismissive of legitimate international concerns, the spokesperson said New Delhi should instead fulfil its international obligations, respect the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people and create conditions for a peaceful resolution of the dispute in accordance with UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the people of Kashmir. The ambassador also expressed grave concern over what he described as “yet another” eviction notice issued to a historic mosque in New Delhi. He said the Race Course Mosque was a Waqf property and a heritage site facing the threat of demolition under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. “The measure exemplifies worsening Islamophobia in India,” he said, adding, “Pakistan calls upon the international community to take notice of incidents involving the demolition of places of worship, including those belonging to Muslims, and urges Indian authorities to desist from discriminatory measures. Pak-Afghan deadlock Foreign Office spokesperson Khan said Pakistan would be willing to engage in talks with Afghanistan if there is a clear understanding that Kabul is ready to curb threats emanating from its soil. Responding to questions at the weekly press briefing, Khan said Pakistan valued its engagement with Russia on Afghanistan and regional security, but no new initiative was currently on the table to facilitate talks between Islamabad and Kabul. He noted that Russia had played a positive role through the Moscow Format meetings since 2017. Khan said Pakistan had consistently pursued diplomacy with Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, engaging bilaterally and through forums involving Qatar, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, China and Russia. However, these efforts had failed to ease tensions due to what he described as the Taliban’s “intransigence”. He questioned the value of further dialogue unless the Afghan authorities acknowledged the presence of terrorist outfits on their territory and established a credible mechanism to prevent cross-border attacks. Citing United Nations monitoring reports and assessments by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), Khan said more than 20 terrorist organisations were operating in Afghanistan. He added that Pakistan was not alone in its concerns, with China, Uzbekistan, Iran and other regional countries also worried about threats allegedly emanating from Afghanistan. Probed about the reports of communication between intelligence officials and Afghanistan’s anti-Taliban leaders and the possibility of a proxy conflict, Khan reiterated Islamabad’s stated preference for a negotiated settlement. Regional diplomatic outlook On Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran, accompanied by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, amid renewed threats by the US president to resume hostilities, the spokesperson declined to comment, saying the question could be taken up on another occasion. He was also asked whether Pakistan was in contact with Washington and pursuing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions. In his opening statement, however, the FO spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to diplomatic engagement, regional coordination and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. He said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had held separate telephone conversations with his Egyptian and Iranian counterparts on October 18 to discuss regional developments. Dar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi exchanged views on the evolving regional situation and the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting held in Baghdad on October 17 and 18. Dar emphasised the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in addressing regional challenges. Read more: Iran says it targeted four oil-carrying ships in Arabian Gulf In a separate conversation, Dar and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed the regional situation and condemned Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, reaffirming solidarity with the Kingdom and support for its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, the spokesperson said. The two ministers reviewed cooperation under the Regional Four framework, comprising Pakistan, Egypt, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, and looked forward to the next meeting to strengthen coordination on regional issues. He also highlighted Dar’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 19 and 20. The spokesperson further outlined Pakistan’s recent diplomatic engagements, including Maldivian President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s state visit from October 20 to 22 at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the visit, Muizzu met President Asif Ali Zardari and held talks with the prime minister. The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, health, education, tourism, agriculture, defence, maritime security, climate change and people-to-people contacts. The visit also resulted in the exchange of 20 memoranda of understanding, giving fresh impetus to cooperation across various sectors. Khan noted that it was the first visit to Pakistan by a Maldivian president in 11 years and coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Further Reading: Pakistan, Latvia discuss visa service On the European front, the spokesperson said President Zardari was on an official visit to Germany from October 22 to 24, focusing on strengthening trade, investment and economic cooperation. The visit coincided with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Germany. Pakistan also held bilateral political consultations with Lithuania on October 19 and Latvia on October 21. The discussions covered trade, investment, information technology, digital services, educational cooperation and the mobility of students, professionals and businesspeople. Khan said Pakistan and the European Union held the 10th round of their bilateral counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad on October 22. Both sides reviewed regional and global developments affecting the terrorist threat landscape and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. “The EU condemned recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan, expressed solidarity with affected civilians and acknowledged Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts. The discussions also covered violent extremism, terrorist financing, radicalisation and the misuse of cyberspace by terrorist groups,” the spokesperson said. Both sides expressed concern over the security implications of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and agreed to hold the next round of dialogue in Brussels in 2027. Multilateral engagements The spokesperson said Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and Indonesia signed the Badr Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding in Doha on October 21 to strengthen cooperation in defence industries. The agreement covered manufacturing, technical training, research and development, technological innovation and industrial capacity-building. He also said Pakistan had reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and the principles of the UN Charter at a ceremony in Islamabad marking United Nations Day on October 22. Meanwhile, Dar had arrived in Istanbul to attend a meeting of foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, the spokesperson added. The Regional Four meeting was to be followed by a gathering involving the same four countries alongside the United Kingdom, France and Germany. According to the spokesperson, it would be the first meeting of the seven countries in this format. The meetings were expected to provide an opportunity to review regional developments, strengthen diplomatic coordination and explore ways to promote peace, security and stability, he said. Khan reiterated that Pakistan remained committed to promoting peace and stability through dialogue, strengthening economic and institutional partnerships, and working with international partners to address shared challenges.