Khawaja Asif says Makkah defence treaty could be activated after Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye could activate their combined defense pact in case Saudi Arabia confronts further attacks from Yemen and reiterated that Pakistan would fulfill its duties under the treaty.

In an interview with a private television channel, Asif stated the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye binds the three nations to help each other if there is an attack. Any armed attack on one of the three countries is to be viewed as an attack on all three under the agreement.

The defense minister said Pakistan would not renounce its commitments under the pact and said that Islamabad’s position on Saudi Arabia’s security was clear.

The remarks came after Yemen’s Houthi forces attacked a number of Saudi cities and industrial institutions, including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Najran and Jazan. Reports said the attacks left 73 people hurt, including women and children.

The Houthi raids were a significant escalation of the regional conflict, hitting Saudi military and energy-related targets with missiles and drones. The strikes also prompted concerns about the security of crucial energy infrastructure and stability in the region.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey inked the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in August. The pact says an armed attack on any of the three countries will be considered an attack on all three and calls for greater defense cooperation among the three governments.

Under the agreement the three countries then established a Strategic Political and Defense Committee to improve coordination, collective deterrence and defense cooperation. The group met for the first time in Istanbul on 31 August.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif criticized the Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia and said such attacks harm innocent lives and undermine regional peace and security.