Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said Islamabad was prepared to fulfil its obligations under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye following an attempted drone attack near the holy city of Mecca.
“The Makkah Agreement applies to us, and we will fulfil our duty,” Asif told Geo News, according to a report on the channel’s website.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the agreement in Mecca on August 7. It provides for collective deterrence and states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be treated as an attack on all three.
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.
