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.
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The "Makkah Agreement applies to us, and we will fulfil our duty," he was quoted as saying by the news channel.
Asif's statements came after Saudi authorities claimed that their air defences had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of the city.
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.
"If Makkah is attacked, there is no need for an agreement to protect it," Asif was quoted as saying by the channel.
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.
During his weekly briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan reiterated the intent and spirit to uphold the defence deal.
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Responding to a query on whether any mechanism had been devised as to how Pakistan will ensure that recent Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia were thwarted, Khan said that Pakistan was committed to "implementing" the agreement.
"However, when, how, where and what force will be used against what objectives, in which modes and matters - operational confidentiality requires us to be discreet at this stage," he added.
He said that Pakistan has for a long time shared the perspective of having peace and stability in the region because "this is not only in the interest of Pakistan and Iran, but also the entire region and beyond."
He also termed the Bab el-Mandeb situation as "exceptionally serious" and went on to call on the Houthis to stop their activities.
"In this regard, our discussions basically revolve around bringing peace and stability through dialogue and diplomacy and not through coercive measures," he said.
On Wednesday, Asif had 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," he 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 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.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday 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 city and urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation.
