WNAM REPORT: The Makkah Defence Alliance should gradually expand its membership to include more Gulf states and other Muslim countries to strengthen collective security, promote regional cooperation and develop greater self-reliance in defence, said Sardar Masood Khan, Former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, China and the United Nations, and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking in a television interview, Sardar Masood Khan said Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain could be considered for inclusion, alongside Egypt, Indonesia and Malaysia. He observed that several Muslim countries have strong historical and strategic connections with Pakistan, Türkiye and Iran, providing a foundation for broader cooperation. He added that membership could be expanded either quickly or in phases, while the alliance consolidates its institutional arrangements and establishes its Secretariat.
He stressed that the current regional conflict had created a compelling need for Muslim countries to strengthen their collective defence capabilities. However, he cautioned that the momentum for cooperation could diminish if hostilities ended without a sustained institutional framework.
Referring to recent engagements involving the alliance and Iran, Khan said the meetings had helped address misconceptions and build trust. He noted that regional countries increasingly recognised the importance of taking greater responsibility for their own security rather than relying exclusively on external powers.
On the escalating tensions involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement, Khan said an essential test of regional diplomacy was an immediate end to Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia. He described these attacks as a red line for Saudi Arabia and the Makkah Alliance, warning that the widening conflict around the Bab al-Mandab Strait could damage the international economy and adversely affect Gulf states, the wider Middle East and North Africa, and Europe.
Khan maintained that Iran possessed significant influence over the Houthis and could use that influence to encourage a cessation of attacks, even though the movement retained operational autonomy. He said Tehran’s willingness to facilitate dialogue between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia reflected its capacity to contribute to de-escalation.
Discussing the possibility of renewed hostilities involving Iran, Khan cautioned that political calculations in Israel and the United States could increase the risk of further escalation. He observed that threats of military action could also serve domestic political objectives, while public criticism of the war was growing in the United States and other Western countries.
Addressing Afghanistan, Khan said Pakistan had two parallel options: proportionate security measures against terrorist threats emanating from Afghan territory and continued diplomatic engagement through countries including China, Qatar and Türkiye. He argued that the Makkah Alliance’s principle of collective defence should encourage its partners to recognise Pakistan’s security concerns and support efforts to counter terrorism.
He concluded that expanding regional cooperation, strengthening mutual trust and combining credible defence arrangements with diplomacy were essential to preventing a wider conflict and building a more secure regional order.
