Khawaja Asif says time has come to act on Makkah pact after drone attempt near holy city

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that the situation had reached a point where the Makkah Agreement had to be put into effect, after Saudi Arabia reported intercepting a Houthi drone near the holy city.

Speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Asif said the agreement applied to Pakistan and that the country would fulfil its duty, though he declined to discuss its details. He added that protecting the holy sites was an obligation that would stand even if no agreement existed.

Asif said the pact provides for mutual defence if the territory or borders of any of the three member countries are violated, and that there was no ambiguity about how it applies. He also referred to the trilateral defence arrangement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed the drone south of Makkah on Tuesday evening before it reached the restricted airspace over the city. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree denied that the group had targeted Makkah, saying its operations were aimed at Saudi oil facilities and military bases.

Asif said Pakistan had passed Saudi Arabia's message on to Iran, and that he did not believe Iran as a state would open another front, while noting that non-state groups could act on their own.

He warned that disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab was hurting trade across the region and was a particular concern for Pakistan's economy. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attempted attack, said Pakistan stood shoulder to shoulder with Riyadh, and urged all sides to show maximum restraint.