Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said it was committed to implementing the Makkah defence agreement amid raging tensions in the Gulf region after what Saudi Arabia described as an attempted drone attack by Yemen’s Houthis against the Muslim holy city.
The trilateral defence agreement, involving Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, was inked last month. The pact establishes a framework for collective deterrence and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of them would be regarded as an attack against all.
Speaking to Geo News on Wednesday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that Pakistan is fully prepared to fulfil its obligations under the Makkah agreement.
Asif’s comments came a day after Saudi authorities said their air defences had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca. The drone was destroyed before entering the city’s prohibited airspace. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca or any Islamic holy site.
“If Makkah is attacked, there is no need for an agreement to protect it,” Asif said, stressing that Pakistan had a duty to protect the holy sites irrespective of the pact.
He said the agreement would apply if the territorial integrity or geographical boundaries of any of the three signatories were violated, adding there was “absolutely no ambiguity” about its application. However, he said Pakistan would not publicly disclose details of its defence or military strategy.
Asif also said Pakistan had conveyed Saudi Arabia’s concerns to Iran over recent Houthi attacks. “I don’t think Iran as a state will open another front,” he said, while distinguishing between the Iranian state and non-state groups operating in the region.
The minister said Pakistan would continue efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading to additional theatres, amid growing concerns over disruption to maritime routes in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.
He said the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab were critical to regional trade and that disruptions were already affecting Pakistan’s economy.
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s defence and said Islamabad stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Riyadh. Sharif condemned the attempted drone attack near the holy site and called for maximum restraint to prevent further escalation.
