India, Aug. 16 -- While the pact has no organisational structure, strategic poise and diplomatic weight, it boosts security to Riyadh, gives access to weapon system markets for Ankara and does give some strategic depth to Islamabad.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the Mecca Defence pact during the "Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence" this month. While the overall details are not known, the fine print envisages an armed attack against one would be deemed as an attack on all three. It is based on the similar lines of Article 5 of NATO, which is based on collective defence. It is notable that NATO has invoked Article 5 only once in ...