&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Pakistan vows to honour Mecca defence pact after drone incident near holy city")
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawja Asif on Wednesday said that the country was ready to fulfil its obligation under the Mecca Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey following what Riyadh described as an attempted drone incursion near the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
“The Makkah Agreement applies to us, and we will fulfil our duty,” Asif told Geo News.
“If Mecca is attacked, there is no need for an agreement to protect it,” Asif was quoted as saying. He said that there would be “absolutely no ambiguity” about its application when the attack violates the territorial integrity and geographical boundaries of any of its signatories.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Pakistan remains committed to helping Saudi Arabia thwart any attacks. “However, when, how, where and what force will be used against what objectives, in which modes and matters — operational confidentiality requires us to be discreet at this stage.”
Asif also added that Iran as a nation will not open up another front in the war, while distinguishing between Iranian state and non-state actors in the region. He said the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-al-Mandeb are absolutely critical to regional trade, and disruptions are already adversely affecting Pakistan's economy.
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Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also stated that Islamabad stands "shoulder to shoulder" with Riyadh. He condemned the attack near the holy site and called for maximum restraint.
Houthis have already denied targeting the Muslim holy city of Mecca, with a member of the group's political bureau calling Riyadh's claim a lie.
Hizam al-Asad said in a post on the social media platform X, "The fabrications and lies promoted by the criminal Al Saud regime regarding the targeting of the Honourable Mecca cannot deceive anyone, for it is they who desecrate it with debauchery and licentiousness and by importing prostitutes, and there is no threat from Yemen to the sanctities. Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, which are far removed from the sacred sites."
Yemeni cartoonist Kamal Sharaf mocked Saudi Arabia’s claim that Ansarallah attempted to attack Mecca, depicting a Saudi figure beside a burning oil barrel with an image of the Kaaba taped over it. “Aramco is not the Kaaba,” Sharaf wrote.
Yemeni government forces are trying to halt the Houthi progress on several fronts, including Khabub mountain near Bab-al-Mandeb, and Taiz. Saudi Arabia is providing air support. Houthis on Thursday said three children had been killed in government strikes, according to the group's media. While one person have been killed and two others injured in a drone interception in Saudi Arabia’s southwest governorate of Taif.
