• Pakistan’s army chief, Saudi defence minister, Turkish spymaster meet top Iranian officials
• Pezeshkian backs understanding ‘to strengthen unity among Muslim nations’
• Saudis say visit aimed at supporting Qatari, Pakistani mediation efforts
• Halting Houthi attacks, reopening Hormuz among main concerns

ISLAMABAD: Iran on Monday expressed support for efforts to promote security and development as President Masoud Pezeshkian met senior officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, the three signatories to the Makkah defence pact, with both sides agreeing to continue dialogue on regional peace and security.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran supports any understanding aimed at strengthening the unity and cohesion of Islamic nations,” President Pezeshkian was quoted as saying in an official statement.

He added that regional countries could set an example of justice and development by pooling their resources and capabilities.

The meeting brought together Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. Iran was represented by senior officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei.

The visiting officials met with Mr Rezaei separately ahead of their meeting with President Pezeshkian.

During the preliminary meeting, it was decided that they would “continue their dialogue to bolster cooperation among the four regional nations, including in the areas of regional peace and security.”

The talks followed Field Marshal Munir’s visit to Tehran last week, where he had proposed the meeting, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.

The first meeting of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement countries with Tehran reflected the realisation that regional tensions need to be addressed through diplomacy, even as the participating countries strengthen their own defence cooperation.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry described the visit as part of continuing efforts by the agreement’s members to reduce tensions, promote dialogue and support diplomatic solutions. The visit, it said, was aimed to support the mediation efforts of Qatar and Pakistan.

Abdul Aziz Hamad Al-Uwaisheq, assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiations at the Gulf Cooperation Council, similarly identified de-escalation, dialogue and support for Pakistan and Qatar led mediation as key objectives of the initiative.

A Qatari delegation had immediately preceded the visit by Makkah pact officials to Tehran, suggesting coordination between the diplomatic initiatives.

The discussions took place against a backdrop of heightened concern over the escalating conflict between Yemen’s Ansar Allah rebels against Saudi Arabia, the security of the Strait of Hormuz and the prospect of renewed US and Israeli military action against Iran.

Moreover, the meeting coincided with Egyptian parliament authorising its president to provide defensive military support to Saudi Arabia in its conflict with Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement. Cairo has, meanwhile, maintained contacts with Iran, the United States and other regional partners in an effort to prevent the conflict from widening.

In a way the meeting was also an extension of the R4 initiative, with Cairo conducting its diplomacy with Tehran in parallel and the other three going over to Tehran to see Iranian leaders.

Iran has long argued that regional security should be managed by countries in the region rather than outside powers. Monday’s meeting offered Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye an opportunity to convey their concerns directly to Iranian leaders, while exploring whether regional cooperation could help contain the risks of a wider conflict.

Media reports said the discussions included the possibility of a regional non-aggression framework, along with the resumption of US-Iran negotiations, halting Ansar Allah attacks, the reopening of Strait of Hormuz and the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. Other issues reportedly raised included the consequences of US and Israeli military actions and developments in Palestine and Lebanon.

There was no immediate indication that the participants had reached an agreement on these issues after their meeting that lasted about two hours.

Mr Rezaei, however, speaking to the media later, said, “a new and positive atmosphere has emerged within the region as reflected in the dialogues held with senior officials from Turkiye, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.”

For Pakistan, the initiative offers a means of maintaining its defence partnership with Saudi Arabia while keeping channels open with neighbouring Iran. Islamabad has also sought to facilitate communication between Washington and Tehran, an effort that would become more difficult if regional hostilities resumed.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, faces the task of strengthening protection for its territory and critical infrastructure from Houthi attacks and fallout of US/Israel-Iran conflict. Its participation in the talks suggests that closer defence cooperation with Pakistan and Turkiye is not precluding engagement with Tehran.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2026

Former army chief retired Gen Abdul Waheed Kakar, who played a decisive role in resolving Pakistan’s 1993 political crisis, passed away in Rawalpindi on Monday at the age of 89. He leaves behind a legacy that will continue to figure in discussions on the country’s civil-military relationship.

His passing was announced by Inter-Services Public Relations, which said in a note that the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and all ranks of the Pakistan Army expressed sorrow over his passing and paid tribute to his “distinguished military career, leadership and invaluable services”. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also conveyed their condolences.

Gen Kakar is best remembered for helping end a serious confrontation between then-president Ghulam Ishaq Khan and then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1993, when the country seemed on the brink of another prolonged political crisis and the government stood paralysed. His intervention led to the resignations of both the president and the prime minister, the installation of a caretaker government, and fresh elections that brought the late Benazir Bhutto back to power. The whole episode popularly came to be known as the “Kakar Formula”.

That episode is still referenced in modern discourse because the army under Gen Kakar not only avoided getting involved in the ongoing politics, but also stopped well short of imposing martial law or assuming direct governance. The Kakar Formula instead gave the stakeholders a way out of the political dispute, allowing the political process to continue.

Professional career

Born on March 23, 1937, in Peshawar, he belonged to the Kakar tribe, whose roots lie in Balochistan. Gen Kakar studied at Edwardes College in Peshawar before joining the army and was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment in October 1959. He saw combat in both the 1965 war with India, where he served in the Chawinda sector, and the 1971 war, where he served as a brigade major in the Sulemanki sector.

His subsequent career included command and staff appointments, including commanding the 16th Infantry Division and serving as chief of staff of II Corps in Multan. He attended the Command and Staff College in Canada, and later studied at the National Defence College in Rawalpindi.

As adjutant general at General Headquarters (GHQ) from 1987 to 1989, Kakar acquired a reputation for insisting on professional standards and merit. He was appointed commander of XII Corps in 1989 and positioned in Quetta.

Gen Kakar assumed command of the army on Jan 12, 1993, after his predecessor, Gen Asif Nawaz Janjua, died suddenly just months before the Ishaq-Nawaz dispute blew up.

His appointment by president Ishaq had come as a surprise because several lieutenant-generals senior to him were superseded, journalist Mariana Baabar, who had met Gen Kakar at the Armoured Mess shortly after his appointment, told Dawn.

Gen Kakar’s tenure saw Pakistan continue its missile development programme, including work that contributed to the Shaheen missile series.

Kakar resisted intense diplomatic pressure from the Clinton administration, which had offered to deliver the blocked F-16s if Pakistan agreed to a verifiable cap on its nuclear programme. He stood firm, refusing to compromise on the country’s strategic deterrent for conventional hardware.

In 1995, the army uncovered a conspiracy, which came to be known as Operation Khilafat, involving serving and retired military officers who were plotting to overthrow the government and assassinate Kakar and then-prime minister Benazir. The plot was foiled before it could be carried out.

Honours and retirement

Gen Kakar completed his three-year term on Jan 12, 1996, and declined an extension. He later retired from public life and settled in Rawalpindi, staying largely out of the public eye.

Baabar, who met him multiple times, recalled that he never showed an inclination towards any party, neither during his service nor afterwards. She also described him as moderate on religion, noting that he always advocated keeping professionalism and religion separate.

Gen Kakar received several military honours during his career, including the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military). However, his place in the country’s history books rests less on the decorations he received and more on the events of 1993 and his decision, three years later, to retire without seeking to prolong his service.

Gen Kakar, who was said to be bedridden for several years before his passing, is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.