Official CSS Syllabus Item: Pakistan's External Affairs → Relations with the Muslim World — part of 40 Marks
Answer Structure
- Historical background 2. Current status/key developments 3. Areas of cooperation 4. Areas of tension 5. Pakistan's strategic interest 6. Way forward
Saudi Arabia
- Longstanding strategic and economic partner — Pakistani military has trained/assisted Saudi forces for decades
- Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (bilateral, 17 September 2025, Al-Yamamah Palace)
- Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (7 August 2026, trilateral with Turkiye) — see dedicated page; Pakistan's nuclear capability is a central strategic asset in this partnership
- Economic ties: remittances, investment, energy — key pillar of Pakistan's external financing
Turkiye
- Deepening defense-industrial cooperation — warship and training aircraft exchanges
- Co-signatory of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (2026)
- Active mediator in the Pakistan-Afghanistan tension (alongside Qatar)
- Strong people-to-people and cultural ties; frequent high-level visits
Iran
- Complicated neighbor relationship — shared border tension amid the 2026 Iran war (US-Israel vs Iran)
- Pakistan has a large Shia population; war-related protests/security incidents inside Pakistan have required curfews and redeployment of forces
- Pakistan played a mediating role in securing the June 2026 US-Iran ceasefire MoU
- Balancing act: close Gulf/Saudi security ties (Makkah pact) vs maintaining working relations with neighboring Iran
- August 2026: DPM/FM Ishaq Dar held calls with Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan (30 Jul) and Iran's FM (3 Aug) on Red Sea/Bab al-Mandeb security and the Iran war — Pakistan actively working both sides of the Gulf-Iran divide