Riyadh(National Times)- Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said on Friday that Pakistan already had “substantial number” of forces and resources in Riyadh and it was now up to the Makkah Defence Alliance to assess the threat in Saudi Arabia and make decisions accordingly.
The FO spokesperson remarks came in response to a query about the “active support” being offered by Pakistan to Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Defence Alliance amid an escalating conflict between the kingdom and Yemen-based Houthis.
The Makkah Defence Alliance is a tripartite arrangement that includes Turkiye as well. It was signed on Aug 7 and and aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.
Speaking during a weekly briefing, the FO spokesperson recalled that a joint statement by the three members of the alliance was “very clear in stating that the three countries are united in ensuring deterrence and safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.
The three countries had decided to contribute and mobilise resources rapidly, he said, adding that Pakistan already had a “substantial number of forces, as well as resources, in Riyadh”.
“It is now up to the organisation to assess the threat perception and operate in accordance with its own mandate,” he said.
The spokesperson went on to say that providing further details on operational matters of the alliance, “including how the situation will be handled, would not be appropriate on my part. It would also be speculative on my part to suggest that certain countries could be involved”.
On the Houthis and escalation of the conflict, he said, “This is a militia that has been involved in such proxy activities and has contributed to regional instability. It has been actively fighting Yemeni forces for quite some time, and access to resources is possible these days. However, at this stage, I would not be able to provide you with specific names”.
