Pakistan Statement on Mecca Defense Agreement
As clashes continue between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif announced that they are ready to fulfill their obligations under the Mecca Pact.
Amid escalating clashes between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis, Pakistan has announced that it is fully prepared to fulfill its commitments within the framework of the signed Mecca Defense Agreement.
Scope and Details of the Agreement
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif stated that his country is ready to fulfill its obligations under the Mecca Defense Agreement signed between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey.
The agreement in question provides for mutual defense in the event that the territorial integrity or geographic borders of any of these three countries are violated.
NATO-Style Collective Defense
Signed on August 7, the Mecca agreement contains a provision similar to NATO's Article 5, meaning that an attack on one of the member states is considered an attack on all of them.
However, despite the ongoing clashes, it was shared that this pact has not yet been officially activated.
Allegations Regarding Mecca and Reactions
These statements came following an alleged drone attack targeting Mecca, which the Saudi-led coalition reported was thwarted but the Houthis denied.
In the wake of these developments, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the alleged attack attempt and reiterated his full support for the defense of Saudi Arabia.
Diplomatic Contacts and the Iran Dimension
On the other hand, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir brought up the attacks against Saudi Arabia during his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.