Who Is Khawaja Asif? Pakistan’s Defence Minister and the Istanbul Trilateral
Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan’s Minister of Defence, met his Turkish counterpart, Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler, in Istanbul on 31 August 2026. Turkey’s Chief of the General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu and Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also joined the bilateral talks. Following that meeting, the inaugural session of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee — established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed on 7 August 2026 in Saudi Arabia between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia — was held in Istanbul the same day. Asif’s second stint as Pakistan’s Defence Minister, running since April 2022, is one of the country’s longest active tenures in that portfolio; he previously held the same charge in 2013–2017. This file will be updated as new official contacts become public.
Khawaja Asif in 60 Seconds
- Pakistan’s Minister of Defence since 19 April 2022; additionally Minister of Aviation since 11 March 2024
- Second Defence tenure; previously held Defence as additional charge 27 November 2013 – 28 July 2017 while serving as Minister of Water and Power
- 31 August 2026: Bilateral talks with Minister Güler in Istanbul + inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement
- Born 9 August 1949 in Sialkot, Punjab; Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) — PML-N — and PML-N Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly
- Education: Cadet College Hasan Abdal; Government College University Lahore; LLB from University Law College Lahore (1970); MSc Economics from the London School of Economics (1975)
- Represents NA-71 Sialkot-II in the National Assembly; elected from the Sialkot region intermittently since 1993
Identity Card
| Field | Information |
| Name | Khawaja Muhammad Asif |
| Born | 9 August 1949, Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Office | Minister of Defence, Islamic Republic of Pakistan (since 19 April 2022); additionally Minister of Aviation (since 11 March 2024) |
| Institution | Ministry of Defence, Government of Pakistan; Aviation Division under his additional charge |
| Party | Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) — PML-N; Parliamentary Leader of PML-N in the National Assembly since May 2019 |
| Constituency | NA-71 Sialkot-II (since the February 2024 general election) |
| Previous portfolios | Foreign Minister (Aug 2017 – Apr 2018); Defence Minister as additional charge (Nov 2013 – Jul 2017); Water and Power Minister (Jun 2013 – Jul 2017); Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister (Mar–May 2008); Chairman, Privatization Commission of Pakistan (1997–1999) |
| Education | Cadet College Hasan Abdal; Government College University Lahore (Bachelor’s); University Law College Lahore (LLB, 1970); London School of Economics (MSc Economics, 1975); Geneva School of Diplomacy (Honorary PhD, 2017) |
| Duty station | Ministry of Defence, Rawalpindi |
Career: From Sialkot to the Ministry of Defence
Khawaja Asif comes from a Kashmiri-origin Punjabi political family; his father Khawaja Muhammad Safdar was a senior figure in the traditional Muslim League circle. After reading law at the University Law College in Lahore, he took an MSc in Economics at the London School of Economics and then worked in banking in the United Arab Emirates. He returned to Pakistan in 1991 following his father’s death and was elected the same year to the Senate of Pakistan on a PML-N slot. He entered the National Assembly for the first time in the 1993 general election from NA-85 Sialkot-I; he was re-elected from the same district in the following three election cycles.
Between 1997 and 1999 he served in Nawaz Sharif’s second government as Chairman of the Privatization Commission, a post held with ministerial rank. He left office after the military coup of 12 October 1999. In the Gilani coalition that followed the 2008 election, Asif briefly held the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources. In Nawaz Sharif’s third government (2013–2017) he was Minister of Water and Power; from 27 November 2013 he was additionally charged with the Ministry of Defence, making him one of the longest-serving Pakistani defence ministers of that decade. In Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s cabinet (August 2017 – April 2018) he served as Foreign Minister during a period of turbulence in Pakistan’s relations with the United States.
Asif returned to the Defence Ministry in April 2022 under the Shehbaz Sharif government. Re-elected from NA-71 Sialkot-II in February 2024, he retained the Defence portfolio in the second Shehbaz Sharif cabinet, and on 11 March 2024 he was additionally appointed Minister of Aviation.
Institutional Context: Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence and CDF
Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence is the cabinet-level counterpart of the Armed Forces; the Ministry of Defence Production is a separate ministry handling military procurement and defence industrial policy. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, appointed Chief of Army Staff in November 2022 and promoted to Field Marshal in 2025, currently also holds the position of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), which coordinates the army, air force and navy. In bilateral defence files with Türkiye, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Defence Production and the Services all sit at the table together. Asif’s chair covers political-level dialogue and strategic framing; technical procurement detail runs through the Ministry of Defence Production and the relevant Service headquarters.
Chronology of Contacts with Türkiye
| Date | Contact | Counterparts |
| 31 August 2026 | Istanbul: bilateral talks with Minister Güler, followed by the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (Türkiye–Saudi Arabia–Pakistan trilateral) | Yaşar Güler (Türkiye MND), Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu (Türkiye CGS), FM Syed Asim Munir (Pakistan CDF/COAS), Prince Khalid bin Salman (Saudi MoD), Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili (Saudi CGS), Hakan Fidan (Türkiye Foreign Minister), Ishaq Dar (Pakistan Deputy PM and Foreign Minister), Prince Faisal bin Farhan (Saudi Foreign Minister) |
| 7 August 2026 | Ministerial-level coordination around the Pakistan signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement; the treaty was signed in Saudi Arabia | Türkiye – Pakistan – Saudi Arabia leaderships and defence institutions |
| 2022–2026 | Ministerial-level participation in the Pakistan–Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC) and the High-Level Military Dialogue Group (HLMDG) | Turkish MND and SSB tracks (recurring) |
Pakistan’s Türkiye Procurement Picture
| System | Supplier | Status |
| MİLGEM (Babur-class corvette, PN 17600 tonnage class) | ASFAT / STM (Türkiye) — Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (Pakistan) | Four hulls under the 2018 contract; PNS Babur commissioned September 2023, PNS Badr delivered in Karachi (2024), PNS Tariq and PNS Tippu Sultan at launch/handover stages across 2024–2025 (open sources) |
| Bayraktar Akıncı (UCAV) | Baykar | Reported in open sources as an operator of the Pakistan Air Force; initial deliveries dated to 2023–2024 |
| Naval modernisation packages | STM and subcontractors | Mid-life upgrade of the Pakistan Navy Agosta 90B submarine fleet completed (PNS Hashmat, PNS Hurmat, PNS Khalid); STM has also been referenced in PN F-22P frigate modernisation work |
| T129 ATAK (attack helicopter) | TAI | The 2018 contract did not proceed because the US LHTEC T800 engine export licence was not issued; Pakistan cancelled its order in 2022; file closed |
Potential matches for the Turkish industry
This section is Envanter Medya’s open-source editorial reading, not confirmed sales information.
- The operational demands of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement are likely to raise the profile of joint training and interoperability files among the three states; Aselsan’s tactical communications range (the TASMUS family, tactical radios) is a natural candidate area.
- Alongside the JF-17 Block III, Pakistan’s long-term air combat planning has publicly referenced engineering cooperation options around Türkiye’s TAI KAAN programme; no contract has been made public to date.
- In the modernisation of Pakistan Navy weapon suites, Roketsan munitions families and Havelsan command-and-control software packages are the names most frequently cited in open-source analysis.
FAQ
Who is Khawaja Asif?
He is Pakistan’s Minister of Defence and Minister of Aviation. He has held the Defence portfolio since 19 April 2022, with Aviation added on 11 March 2024. A member of PML-N and MNA for NA-71 Sialkot-II, he previously served as Minister of Defence (additional charge) between 2013 and 2017 and as Foreign Minister between August 2017 and April 2018.
What was discussed at the Istanbul meeting of 31 August 2026?
The Turkish and Pakistani sides addressed strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and regional security; the inaugural session of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee — established under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed by Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on 7 August 2026 — was then convened in Istanbul. Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence confirmed the bilateral and trilateral tracks; no signed contract announcement was released to the public in this round.
Which Turkish systems are in Pakistan’s inventory?
The Babur-class corvettes (a four-ship MİLGEM derivative) are being built jointly with Türkiye; the lead ship PNS Babur was commissioned in September 2023. The Bayraktar Akıncı UCAV is listed among Pakistan Air Force users in open sources. STM has also completed the mid-life upgrade of Pakistan’s Agosta 90B submarines. The T129 ATAK order was terminated due to a US-origin engine export licence issue.
How long has Asif held the Defence portfolio?
He has been in continuous charge of Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence since April 2022; his tenure carried into the second Shehbaz Sharif government formed after the February 2024 election, with Aviation added to his responsibilities. This makes him one of the longest active Defence Ministers Pakistan has had in the recent period.
What is the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement?
It is the trilateral framework treaty on defence between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, signed on 7 August 2026 in Saudi Arabia. The agreement contains a collective defence commitment providing that an armed attack against any of the three would be considered an attack against all three. The Strategic Political and Defence Committee, which convened in Istanbul on 31 August 2026, was set up as the treaty’s executive body; Pakistan will provide the first Secretary General for a three-year term, with the secretariat to be based in Saudi Arabia.
Why does Asif matter in Türkiye’s file?
He is the ministerial counterpart of the Türkiye–Pakistan defence relationship. That axis matters to Türkiye because of the institutional weight of the Pakistani military and the long trajectory of the MİLGEM and UCAV cooperation tracks with Türkiye’s industry. As the Makkah Agreement matures into an operational commitment, Asif’s chair is the Pakistan-side ministerial anchor of the trilateral mechanism.
Sources and Verification Note
- Statement by Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence (Anadolu Agency, 31 August 2026): “Turkish Defense Minister Guler met with Pakistani counterpart Asif”
- Anadolu Agency — Minister Güler’s separate meeting with Field Marshal Munir (31 August 2026)
- The Express Tribune (Pakistan) — 31 August 2026 Istanbul trilateral: delegation lists and committee outcomes
- Pakistan Today, The Nation, Shafaqna — Pakistani side of the Munir/Asif visit (31 August – 1 September 2026)
- Al Jazeera — analysis of the 7 August 2026 Makkah Joint Defence Agreement
- Wikipedia — Khawaja Asif biography (career milestones cross-checked); PML-N and Pakistan National Assembly records
- Pakistan Navy MİLGEM programme: ASFAT/STM open-source releases, Karachi Shipyard press releases, IISS Military Balance records
Image: Wikimedia Commons — “Khawaja Asif MSC 2017” (Munich Security Conference, February 2017).
Last updated: 2 September 2026
