Journey from Defence of Pakistan to the Mecca Defence Treaty

Journey from Defence of Pakistan to the Mecca Defence Treaty
(Columnist: Asghar Ali Mubarak)
Defence and Martyrs Day (September 6) is the most glorious day in Pakistan’s military history, which is celebrated in memory of the brave sons who defended the beloved homeland in the 1965 war. Every year on September 6, the entire nation celebrates this day with renewed determination. Solemn ceremonies are held at all military centers, including GHQ, where tributes are paid to the families of the martyrs. This day reminds us that when the nation and the forces are on the same page, numerical superiority has no meaning.
Pakistan’s invincible defence is due to the cooperation, professionalism, and state-of-the-art combat capabilities of the three armed forces. Defence of Pakistan is not just a subject, but an eternal story written with the blood of martyrs, unparalleled sacrifices and sincere determination.
The Pakistan Army is considered one of the best military forces in the world, having proven its superiority on every front, from conventional wars to the war on terrorism.
Primary Role: Protection of land borders, internal security, and assistance to civil administration in natural disasters. Historical Battles: Battles of 1948, 1965, 1971, and 1999 (Kargil), where brave soldiers received high awards like Nishan-e-Haider.
Modern Capabilities: State-of-the-art tanks like Al-Khalid and Al-Darrar, smart artillery, and strike formations that are always ready to respond to any aggression immediately,
The motto of the Pakistan Air Force is “Sahra Asad” (Lion of the Air), and it is famous all over the world for its courage and air superiority.
Historical Achievements: In the 1965 war, MM Alam (Squadron Leader) set a world record by shooting down 5 enemy warplanes in just one minute. In Operation Swift Retort in February 2019, the Pakistan Air Force once again demonstrated its air superiority by shooting down enemy aircraft. Operation Banyan Al-Marsoos (May 2025): This was the battle of truth in recent history in which the Pakistan Air Force paralyzed the enemy’s entire military network through a coordinated combination of its smart weapons, hypersonic missiles, cyber operations, and drone technology.
Modern Fleet: The Pakistan Air Force’s fleet includes the latest fifth- and fourth-generation fighter aircraft such as the JF-17 Thunder (JF-17 Block 3), J-10C, and F-16, which are fully capable of crushing the enemy’s aerial ambitions.
Pakistan Navy is the protector of Pakistan’s maritime borders, coasts, and strategic economic corridors (such as CPEC and Gwadar Port). Historical Achievements: In the 1965 war, under Operation Dwarka, the Pakistan Navy destroyed the enemy’s coastal fort and paralyzed the enemy’s navy during the war. In 1971, the Pakistan Navy’s submarine PNS Hangor sank the Indian warship ‘Kakri’. Modern Capabilities: The Pakistan Navy is equipped with the latest P-8I Lookout aircraft, frigates, and submarines. The recently inducted Hangor-class submarines and Babur-class multipurpose corvettes have made Pakistan’s defense in the Indian Ocean impregnable.
This journey, which began in 1947 with a severe shortage of resources and incomplete defense assets after the partition of India, has today made Pakistan the most powerful nuclear and technological power in the world.
The Mecca Defence Pledge is clear evidence that Pakistan has emerged as the strongest, most responsible, and unforgettable power in the Islamic world.
The Defence of Pakistan Journey shows that Pakistan is no longer just an army protecting its borders, but has become the largest and most reliable guarantor of maintaining peace, stability, and balance of power in the region and the Muslim world through the Mecca Defence Alliance.
Today, Pakistan’s forces are not only the protectors of their geographical borders but are also the most active in establishing peace around the world under the United Nations peacekeeping missions.
So far, Pakistan has sent more than 230,000 of its soldiers to more than 46 UN missions in 28 countries of the world, where more than 170 soldiers have sacrificed their lives for world peace.
The difficult beginning of the establishment of Pakistan and the defense challenges of the newborn empire When Pakistan appeared on the world map on August 14, 1947, under the formula agreed upon for the partition of India, this new state was to get 36 percent of the legitimate defense share of the military assets, but due to India’s gross injustice and malice, Pakistan got only about 10 to 12 percent of the equipment, which was mostly useless. This defense material was equivalent to “cumin in the camel’s mouth”.
The newborn state was just planning to move forward, struggling with its innumerable administrative problems, when in October 1948, it had to fight its first battle for survival on the Kashmir front.
This was the same battle of truth in which Captain Raja Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed, the brave son of the 2/1 Punjab Regiment of the Pakistan Army, sacrificed his life while cutting the enemy’s barbed wire and taking bullets to the chest in the Ori sector (Kupwara) and was awarded the highest military award of Pakistan, “Nishan-e-Haider”.
A crushing response to the traditional enemy: History-making battles from 1965 to 2025. History is a witness that whenever the integrity of Pakistan came under fire, it taught a lesson to the traditional enemy, many times larger than itself, which became a part of military history.
In the September 1965 war, Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed stopped the enemy on the BRB Canal on the Lahore front, while in the field of Chunda (Sialkot), the Pakistan Army, led by Major General Abrar Hussain, fought the world’s largest tank battle after World War II and destroyed more than 100 tanks of the Indian Army, turning it into a “tank graveyard”.Times have changed, the modes of war have changed, but there has been no change in the professional capabilities of the Pakistan Army. In May 2025, when the enemy once again attempted an adventure, the Pakistan Army launched a historic counter-offensive named “Operation Bunyan Al-Marsoos”. Like a leaden wall, the modern smart missile attacks launched on the enemy under this operation crushed its pride and sent a message to the world that Pakistan’s defense is impregnable.
The milestone of the Battle of Haq and the Mecca Defense Agreement.
The brilliant success of Operation Bunyan Al-Marsoos presented Pakistan as a very strong and modern military force on the global stage.
Recognizing this strategic and defense strength of Pakistan, the brotherly Islamic country Saudi Arabia moved forward with important defense cooperation with Pakistan.
In this context, the brotherly country Turkey also joined the process, which resulted in a historic and unprecedented “Mecca Defense Agreement” in August 2026.
The most important point of this tripartite agreement is that an armed attack on any one of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey will be considered an attack on all three countries.
It has become a defense bloc of the Islamic world on the lines of NATO, which has completely changed the balance of power in the region.
Under the historic agreement, which is a manifestation of world peace and the power of the Islamic world, it has been decided to establish the central secretariat of the alliance in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s diplomatic and military importance can be gauged from the fact that Pakistan has been appointed as the first Secretary General of this strategic secretariat of the Mecca Defense Agreement, which will head it for the first three years. Pakistan’s diplomatic and military importance can be gauged from the fact that Pakistan has been appointed as the first Secretary General of this strategic secretariat of the Mecca Defense Agreement, which will head it for the first three years. The three countries are now integrating joint defense technology, fifth-generation drones, hypersonic missile production, and military capabilities. Pakistan’s defense posture has evolved from a modest military inventory at the time of independence in 1947 to a modern technological deterrent, exemplified by Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos in May 2025. This strategic capability culminated in the historic Mecca Defense Agreement of August 2026, which established a trilateral security alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
Pakistan’s armed forces created a history of valor in the historic Battle of Kashmir in 1948. 1965 (September War): When the enemy crossed the international border in the dark of night, the nation and the armed forces united and gave a crushing response. The defense of Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed at Wagah and the world’s second-largest tank battle fought on the field of Chunda (Sialkot) are bright chapters in military history. 1999 (Battle of Kargil): At the snowy and harsh heights of 18 thousand feet, heroes like Captain Colonel Sher Khan Shaheed and Havaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed showed the prowess that was acknowledged by the enemy commanders themselves. Pakistan went beyond traditional defense to protect its survival and sovereignty and adopted smart and strategic technology: On May 28, 1998, through successful nuclear explosions (Yum-e-Takbir) in the mountains of Chagai, Pakistan became the first in the Muslim world and the seventh nuclear power in the world, which permanently established the balance of power in the region. The latest ballistic and cruise missile systems like Ghauri, Shaheen, and Ababeel, and locally developed fifth-generation drones are the guarantee of Pakistan’s impregnable defense.
Pakistan’s defense today is not limited to its geographical boundaries, but has become the axis of the Muslim Ummah and world peace. This trilateral security alliance between Saudi Arabia and Turkey is the most reliable guarantor of maintaining the balance of power in the Muslim world. Pakistan’s defense is an alternative to the fact that, as long as the soldiers of the Pakistan Army are alert on the borders and the resolve of the Pakistani nation is young, every evil eye raised towards this holy land will be blinded forever. Pakistan’s state-owned defense company Global Industrial and Defense Solutions has surprised the world with drone technology:
Shahpar-II: This drone is capable of flying continuously for more than 20 hours and hitting targets with deep air intelligence and laser-guided missiles at an altitude of 23,000 feet. It played a key role in the 2025 war. Shahpar-III: This is Pakistan’s latest heavy combat UAV (UCAV) to compete with the American ‘MQ-9 Reaper’ in the Middle East and internationally. It is capable of carrying 1650 kg of weapons, anti-ship missiles, the latest ‘Rasub 250’ and ‘Azb 81-LR’ guided missiles.

Al-Murtajiz Combat Drone: This new and deadly autonomous weapon recently joined the Pakistan Air Force squadron and was successfully tested during Operation Banyan Al-Marsoos. It is specialized for deep and covert attacks at long distances.
Pak-Turkey and China Strategic Partnership (From Ankara to Mecca Agreement): In the context of the Mecca Defense Agreement, Pakistan’s space cooperation with Turkey’s leading company Baykar Technologies (Baykar) and China is at its peak. The world’s most powerful drones have joined the Pakistan Air Force fleet:
Bayraktar Akinci: This is a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drone that is capable of firing cruise missiles. Bayraktar TB-2: This drone, which has proven its strength in many battlefields of the world, is part of the Pakistan Air Force. Wing Loong II: This latest attack drone, acquired with the cooperation of China, is capable of 24-hour aerial surveillance.
National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP): Through NASTP, established in Rawalpindi and Kamra, Pakistan is now developing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Fifth Generation Stealth Drones, Loitering Munitions (loaded suicide drones), and Drone Shield Systems. Recently, Pakistan has also successfully begun work on a modern strategic drone system with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers. Loitering munitions, colloquially known as “Kamikaze Drones” or “suicide drones,” are a game-changer in the world of advanced fifth-generation warfare. They are a lethal combination of conventional missiles and conventional drones that can hover in the air for hours searching for a target and then strike and destroy it as soon as they find it. Pakistan has achieved unprecedented self-sufficiency in this technology in recent years, especially in the strategic context of Operation Banyan al-Marsoos of May 2025 and the Mecca Defense Agreement of August 2026.
Pakistan’s Loitering Munitions Program: Pakistan has not only acquired this capability in collaboration with friendly countries but has also developed smart suicide drones indigenously through its defense institutions, GIDS (Global Industrial and Defense Solutions) and NASTP (National Aerospace Science and Technology Park),
Azb and Rasub Series Azb-81 LR: This is Pakistan’s indigenously developed long-range loitering munition. It can be fired from drones as well as from the ground. It spends a long time in the air and targets enemy radars, command and control centers, and air defense systems. Rasub-250: This is a high-precision (highly accurate targeting) suicide weapon that automatically finds and destroys moving targets (such as enemy tanks and armored vehicles) with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).
Zilzal and Ababeel Micro Drones are small-sized kamikaze drones developed for the Pakistan Army’s infantry and special forces (SSG). These micro drones can be carried in a bag by a soldier and used to carry out quick and covert suicide attacks on enemy positions, bunkers, or snipers on the battlefield.
Mecca Defense Alliance and International Cooperation: Under the Mecca Defense Agreement, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are jointly working on next-generation suicide drones:
Kargu and Alpagu: These drones, acquired in collaboration with leading Turkish military companies, have the ability to attack in the form of swarm drones. If 20 to 30 drones are fired simultaneously, they can overwhelm any modern enemy air defense system.
Airborne capability: A conventional missile flies straight to its target after being fired, while a kamikaze drone can “loiter” in the air for hours until a hidden target is revealed. The thermal and optical cameras and AI algorithms installed in these drones are capable of distinguishing between enemy vehicles and human movement and making their own decisions. If, after firing, it is found that the target is not there or is a civilian population, the drone’s mission can be stopped in the air or recalled, which is not possible with a missile.

The live use of loitering munitions (kamikaze drones) and the method of military operations by the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Army during “Operation Bunyan Al-Marsoos” (Battle of Truth) in May 2025 has become an unforgettable chapter in modern war history. During Operation Bunyan Al-Marsoos, Pakistan made integrated use of Network-Centric Warfare and Artificial Intelligence (AI), the live method of which consisted of 3 major stages:
Integrated Launching Systems (Stealth Take-Off): These drones (such as Azab and Rasoob) were fired simultaneously from multiple launching vehicles (trucks) and forward positions. Due to their small size and extremely low radar signature, they evaded enemy radars and entered their airspace.
Swarm Attack Technology: The Pakistan Air Force used “Swarm Technology” to paralyze the enemy’s defense system. That is, swarms of 300 to 400 drones were sent to 36 locations in different formations at the same time. When the enemy’s air defense radars (including the S-400) turned on their signals to track these drones, these suicide drones followed the radar waves (Anti-Radiation Tracking) and directly hit their signal sources. Live video feed and data link: These drones were loitering in the air for hours, sending live high-definition (HD) and thermal images of the target to the ground command centers. As soon as the command center received final approval or the target was locked by artificial intelligence, these drones hit the target directly with a very fast dive speed of up to 500 kilometers per hour. The same strategic maneuver successfully targeted the command centers of Pathankot and Udhampur air bases and the Brahmos missile depot in Beas. The range and live strategy of these drones were so effective that the enemy’s so-called defense system completely failed to identify and neutralize them. They disabled the enemy’s defense infrastructure worth billions of dollars, such as the S-400 air defense systems in Udhampur and Bhuj, with low-cost live hits, and made Pakistan’s name written in golden letters in the NATO-style fifth-generation air war.