Shehbaz, Erdogan, MBS likely to meet in NY

Pakistan is preparing for a key trilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in New York on September 24 as escalating tensions in the Gulf put the three countries' recently signed Mecca Joint Defence Agreement under renewed focus, according to sources. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman are expected to attend the meeting, where the latest developments in the Gulf region and their implications for the trilateral defence arrangement are likely to be discussed. The three countries signed the Defence pact in Makkah on August 7, committing to strengthen collective security and providing that an armed attack against any one of them would be regarded as an attack against all three. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in New York after a stopover in London and is scheduled to hold a number of important meetings during his stay for the high-level week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The prime minister's UNGA programme has been officially confirmed, including his address to the General Assembly on September 25.