Bloomberg: Pakistan’s open invitation to Turkey to join the so-called “Islamic NATO”

Pakistan has near unfastened the anticipation of Turkey and Qatar joining the existing defence practice pact with Saudi Arabia, arsenic the ongoing struggle betwixt the United States and Iran continues to reshape the geopolitical equilibrium successful the Middle East and South Asia.

According to a Bloomberg report, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that consultations are successful their last stages and that the statement could germinate into a broader determination information framework.

The improvement comes amid heightened tensions successful the region, with the US-Iran conflict raising concerns implicit vigor security, maritime commercialized routes, and wide stableness successful the Middle East.

Pakistan has precocious emerged arsenic an important diplomatic mediator during the crisis, facilitating contacts betwixt Washington and Tehran while publically calling for de-escalation and dialogue.

“If Qatar and Turkey besides articulation the existing agreement, that would beryllium a affirmative development,” Asif said successful a televised interrogation connected Monday, according to Bloomberg.

The Pakistani curate argued that the inaugural aims to make a broader level for practice among “like-minded countries,” describing it arsenic a imaginable “Islamic NATO” designed to heighten determination stableness and corporate security.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a strategical defence statement successful September 2025, stipulating that immoderate onslaught connected 1 state would beryllium considered an onslaught connected both.

The 2 countries person strengthened subject and defence practice pursuing Iranian retaliatory strikes connected targets successful the region, which further escalated the crisis.

Last month, a Pakistani subject contingent arrived astatine King Abdulaziz Air Base successful Saudi Arabia arsenic portion of associated subject operations and determination information initiatives.

A imaginable enlargement of the statement to see Turkey and Qatar would bring immoderate of the region’s astir influential Muslim states person unneurotic astatine a clip erstwhile determination alliances are being reshaped by warfare and increasing geopolitical uncertainty.