Islamabad will honour terms and conditions of tripartite agreement, says Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
\n ISLAMABAD
\nDefence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Houthi attacks on Saudi territory would invoke the Makkah Defence Alliance, a tripartite defence agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. At least 71 people were injured on Tuesday after Houthis launched an attack on several cities in Saudi Arabia, further undermining stability in the Middle East.
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks, terming them a \u201ccowardly\u201d act that endangered innocent lives and threatened regional peace and security. The prime minister reaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s steadfast support for the kingdom\u2019s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.
\nSpeaking during the show, the defence minister said that unprovoked aggression or the spillover from Yemen into Saudi Arabia \u201cwill definitely\u201d operationalise the Makkah Defence Alliance. \u201cThere should be no doubt about it. We are bound by the terms and conditions of this pact, and we will honour them in case there is a need,\u201d he added.
\nHowever, Asif said that Islamabad hoped the situation would be brought under control and eventually subside. The trilateral agreement \u2014 signed between Islamabad, Riyadh and Ankara on August 7 \u2014 provides for collective security and defence cooperation among the three states.
\nThe pact was signed amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following the conflict that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran and targeted its senior leadership.
\nOn Pakistan\u2019s mediation efforts between the US and Iran, the defence minister said that Islamabad\u2019s efforts to broker peace were still ongoing. The defence minister said that Pakistan wanted an environment that could help reduce tensions in the region. \u201cThere are contacts, even if they are indirect.\u201d
\nPakistan, which emerged as a key mediator between the US and Iran, achieved a historic diplomatic victory on June 15 when Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for peace in the region. Islamabad has since continued to facilitate communication between the two sides and promote dialogue, de-escalation and a peaceful resolution.
\nWhile Asif warned that Israel would want the Iran-US conflict to continue, he expressed optimism about international pressure contributing to peace in the region. \u201cPeace will be established in the region and Israel will have to pay a price,\u201d Asif said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad will honour terms and conditions of tripartite agreement, says Defence Minister Khawaja Asif ISLAMABAD Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Houthi attacks on Saudi territory would invoke the Makkah Defence Alliance, a tripartite defence agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. At least 71 people were injured on Tuesday after Houthis launched […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":552677,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-566373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n