Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye agreed on Monday to rapidly deploy military forces and capabilities inside the kingdom. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the decision falls under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. It came in response to mounting security threats from the conflict in Yemen.
The decision followed an emergency meeting in Riyadh of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC). The meeting took place against a backdrop of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The committee decided to move immediately to practical implementation of the collective defence commitments. The Foreign Office said the move would follow approved arrangements and the national legislation of each party, without naming any specific threat.
The three members strongly condemned the attempted targeting of Makkah and Madina. They also condemned continuing attacks on Saudi cities and on civilian and economic facilities. Moreover, they rejected any attack on the kingdom’s security and territorial integrity. Pakistan and Turkiye separately commended the vigilance and readiness of Saudi forces.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif spoke to a news channel after the meeting. He said Saudi Arabia had made gains in Yemen and recovered some areas in fighting with the Houthis. However, he said only Saudi troops were engaged in combat. Pakistani and Turkish forces have a presence in theatre, he added, but they play a supportive role.
Asif said the meeting also formalized the alliance’s operational structure. The committee appointed Pakistan’s Lieutenant General (Retd) Nauman Mahmood as its first secretary general for a three-year term. Pakistan’s delegation included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Asim Munir and Asif.
The Makkah defence pact was signed on Aug 7. It commits its members to treat an attack on one as an attack on all. Meanwhile, the SPDC meeting came as Yemen’s Saudi-led coalition government launched a major campaign to recapture Houthi-held territory. Both sides traded strikes over the weekend, including a Houthi attack on an Aramco facility south of Riyadh. Therefore, the Makkah defence pact now faces its first real test.
