Islamabad: Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the country is fully prepared to fulfil its obligations under the Makkah agreement after what Saudi Arabia described as an attempted drone attack near the Muslim holy city. Asif made the remarks while speaking to Geo News on Wednesday, saying the "Makkah Agreement applies to us, and we will fulfil our duty," according to a report on the news channel's website. The latest statement came amid global backlash over Islamabad inaction, despite one of its members, Saudi Arabia, facing massive drone strikes.
Saudi Arabia under drone attack
Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Mecca on August 7. The pact establishes a framework for collective deterrence and stipulates that an armed attack against any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three. The drone was destroyed before it entered Mecca's prohibited airspace, according to Saudi authorities. The Houthis, however, denied targeting Mecca or any Islamic holy site.
Asif's statements on Wednesday came after several areas along Saudi Arabia's western coast, including the holy city of Mecca, were placed on security alert on Tuesday. Saudi authorities said their air defences had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of the city. Earlier last week, during a live TV program, he assured the kingdom that Islamabad was bound to safeguard the territorial integrity of the Islamic nation. However, two days later, Pakistan's foreign ministry backtracked from these commitments, stating, "The Mecca Defence Agreement does not explicitly mention automatic military action" if any of its members comes under attack.
A week later, Asif again showed Islamabad's commitment toward Saudi Arabia. "If Makkah is attacked, there is no need for an agreement to protect it," Asif was quoted as saying by Geo News on Wednesday. He said Pakistan did not need an agreement to protect the holy sites, as safeguarding them was a duty even in the absence of the pact.
Asif said the Makkah pact provided for mutual defence if the territorial integrity or geographical boundaries of any of the three countries were violated. He said there was "absolutely no ambiguity" about its application, while stressing that Pakistan would not publicly discuss details of its defence or military strategy.
Asif also said Pakistan had conveyed Saudi Arabia's message to Iran amid concerns over Houthi attacks against the kingdom. "I don't think Iran as a state will open another front," Asif said, adding that Tehran was already embroiled in a conflict in the region.
He distinguished between the Iranian state and informal arrangements involving non-state groups, saying such groups could act without waiting for formal approval or support from a state.
Asif said Iran taking sides in the conflict involving the Houthis and Saudi Arabia would not be a prudent course, given Tehran's relations with other countries.
The minister also said Pakistan would continue efforts to prevent the conflict from expanding into additional theatres. On the wider regional security situation, Asif said the trilateral defence agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye was one arrangement that had emerged as countries assessed their security needs. He said other defence arrangements could emerge in the region, but stressed that this was his analysis and not based on any specific development.
Asif said countries in the region could cooperate more closely to counter non-state armed groups if they increasingly had to provide for their own security.
He said the disruption of maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, and Bab al-Mandab, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, was affecting trade and economies across the region. The disruption was particularly important for Pakistan because of its impact on the country's economy, he said.
Asif said the wider conflict had expanded beyond the issues that initially dominated discussions, with the security of maritime trade routes emerging as a major concern.
He stressed the importance of keeping the routes open, saying their disruption was having a significant economic impact on Pakistan and the wider region.
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan's full support for Saudi Arabia's defence and said Islamabad stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Riyadh. Sharif condemned what he described as a "dastardly and heinous attempted drone attack" against the Holy Site of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation.
(With inputs from agncy)
You may also like to watch