Pakistan’s defence minister makes the call after Islamabad signs a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey
Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has called on Muslim-majority countries to set aside their differences and work towards a NATO-like collective defence arrangement, reviving Islamabad’s push for what has been described as an “Islamic NATO”.
Asif made the appeal a day after Pakistan signed a new defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, giving fresh momentum to discussions about a broader military and security bloc involving Muslim nations.
The Pakistani minister argued that regional countries need to develop stronger collective security mechanisms rather than remain dependent on outside powers.
Asif calls for unity among Muslim nations
Asif said Muslim countries should overcome their differences and come together on issues of common security.
He argued that an alliance modelled broadly on NATO could provide a framework for collective defence and closer military cooperation among participating countries.
The proposal comes amid major geopolitical shifts across West Asia and growing concerns over regional security, military alignments and dependence on external powers.
Asif has previously indicated that Pakistan’s existing defence partnership with Saudi Arabia could potentially be expanded to include Turkey and Qatar.
Pakistan-Saudi-Turkey axis gains attention
Pakistan already has a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia, signed in 2025. The pact includes a collective-defence provision under which aggression against one country is treated as aggression against both, according to reporting on the agreement.
The potential involvement of Turkey and Qatar could significantly expand the scope of the arrangement.
Turkey would bring substantial military capabilities and a well-developed defence industry, while Saudi Arabia and Qatar possess considerable financial and energy resources. Pakistan, meanwhile, is the only nuclear-armed state among the proposed core members.
This combination has led some analysts and commentators to describe the emerging concept as an “Islamic NATO”.
Asif says bloc should not be exclusive
Asif has stressed that any such grouping should not become a closed or exclusive club.
Instead, he wants other Muslim countries to join a broader regional security framework, arguing that greater cooperation could reduce dependence on powers outside the region.
The proposal comes at a time when several Middle Eastern countries are reassessing their security relationships amid continuing regional conflicts and uncertainty over the role of major global powers.
Turkey and Qatar could widen the grouping
Pakistan had earlier indicated that Turkey and Qatar could potentially join the existing Pakistan-Saudi defence arrangement.
Asif had said negotiations with the two countries were at different stages, raising the possibility of a four-country grouping combining Pakistan’s military and nuclear capabilities with Turkey’s defence technology and the financial strength of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
However, the proposed “Islamic NATO” remains an evolving concept rather than a formally established military alliance comparable to NATO.
What it could mean for India
The possibility of a wider Pakistan-led security grouping has also attracted attention in India.
A bloc involving Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar could create a new strategic equation stretching from South Asia to West Asia. For New Delhi, the close military relationship between Pakistan and Turkey is particularly significant.
Analysts have previously warned that the combination of Pakistan’s nuclear capability, Turkey’s defence technology and Gulf financial resources could alter regional security calculations, although the ability of countries with differing strategic interests to operate as a cohesive military alliance remains uncertain.
A bold proposal facing major hurdles
The push for an “Islamic NATO” reflects Pakistan’s ambition to position itself at the centre of a new regional security architecture.
But turning the idea into a functioning military alliance would require participating countries to overcome substantial political, strategic and diplomatic differences.
For now, Asif’s call signals Islamabad’s intent to broaden its defence partnerships and encourage Muslim-majority countries to build a more coordinated regional security framework.
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Great claricon call for entire Islamic states to unite & get destroyed together. Golden chance. Porkistan is Islamic world super power, powered by Chinese fake DNA. It should worry America who provides baby nappies to Porkistan and washes them in Washington (Westington) laundry machines. Love this Christian nation (USA) cleaning the nappies, which has Chinese poop