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Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said there was absolutely no ambiguity over the application of the Mecca Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye following Saudi Arabia's interception of a Houthi drone near the holy city of Mecca.
Speaking to Geo News on Wednesday, Asif said Pakistan was bound by the agreement and would fulfil its obligations, while maintaining that details of any defence response would remain confidential. Mecca Agreement applies to us, and we will fulfil our duty, Asif was quoted as saying by Geo News. He said Pakistan's responsibility towards the Muslim holy sites existed independently of the trilateral agreement. If Mecca is attacked, there is no need for an agreement to protect it, Asif added. His comments came after Saudi authorities said their air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening, before it entered the prohibited airspace around the holy city. According to the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen, the incident was the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca. Houthi officials, however, rejected the allegation. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group's operations were directed at Saudi oil facilities and military bases and denied targeting Islamic holy sites. Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Islamabad's support for Saudi Arabia's defence and said Pakistan stood shoulder to shoulder with Riyadh. He condemned what he called a dastardly and heinous attempted drone attack against Mecca and urged all sides to exercise restraint. Asif said the Mecca Agreement provides for collective defence if the territorial integrity or geographical boundaries of any of the three signatories are violated. He declined to provide details about Pakistan's military strategy, saying such information would not be discussed publicly. Asif also said Pakistan had conveyed a message from Saudi Arabia to Iran amid concerns over Houthi attacks. He said he did not believe Iran, as a state, would open another front in the region, while distinguishing between state authorities and non-state groups that may operate independently. I don't think Iran as a state will open another front, Asif said, according to Geo News. He added that Islamabad would continue diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict from spreading to additional areas. Asif also raised concerns over disruptions to key maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, saying they were affecting regional trade and Pakistan's economy. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei condemned any aggression against Islamic holy sites but urged caution over unverified claims concerning the alleged drone incident. (ANI)
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