“Will fulfill our duty”: Pakistan reiterates its commitment to fulfilling its duties under the Makkah defense accord

Following Saudi Arabia’s claim that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone close to Mecca, Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif stated on Thursday that the nation is ready to fulfilll its commitments under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement. According to a report on the news channel’s website, Asif stated that the “Makkah Agreement applies to us, and we will do our obligation” during an interview with Geo News on Wednesday. On August 7, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in Mecca.

An armed attack against any one of the three nations would be considered an attack against all three, according to the agreement, which also creates a framework for collective deterrence. Asif’s remarks on Wednesday come after a number of locations around the western coast of Saudi Arabia, including the holy city of Mecca, were put under security alert on Tuesday after Saudi authorities claimed that a Houthi drone had been intercepted and destroyed by their air defenses south of the city.

Saudi authorities claim that the drone was destroyed before it entered Mecca’s forbidden airspace. However, the Houthis denied attacking Mecca or any other Islamic holy place.

The incident is part of a larger escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed militia, which has endangered marine trade in and around the Red Sea and attacked Saudi land in recent days.

He claimed that Pakistan did not require an agreement to defend the sacred sites because it was still its obligation to do so. According to Asif, the Makkah agreement called for mutual defense in the event that any of the three nations’ borders or territorial integrity were breached.

He emphasized that Pakistan will not openly share specifics of its defense or military policy while stating that there was “absolutely no uncertainty” on its applicability. Concerned about Houthi strikes on the kingdom, Asif added that Pakistan had sent Saudi Arabia’s message to Iran. “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 made a distinction between the Iranian state and unofficial agreements involving non-state organizations, stating that the latter might take action without waiting for official state endorsement or approval. Given Tehran’s ties to other nations, Asif stated that Iran would not be wise to take a side in the dispute between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.

The minister added that Pakistan would keep working to stop the conflict from spreading to new areas. Regarding the broader security situation in the area, Asif stated that one arrangement that had developed as nations evaluated their security requirements was the trilateral defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.

He stated that new defense arrangements could form in the region, emphasizing this was merely his analysis. Asif indicated that regional cooperation could strengthen to combat non-state armed groups as countries assume greater responsibility for their own security. He highlighted that disruptions in maritime routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, were negatively impacting trade and economies, especially Pakistan’s.

The broader conflict now encompasses the security of maritime trade routes, which is crucial for economic stability. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s defense, condemning a recent drone attack targeting Makkah and calling for restraint to prevent escalation.