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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have agreed to convene an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee (SPDC) of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Riyadh next week as the alliance confronts escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and a growing diplomatic push to contain the crisis.
At a news conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that the meeting would assess the “ground reality” and discuss the situation facing Saudi Arabia, particularly following attacks on civilian and economic infrastructure and the recent strike on a power facility in Madinah.
The development marks the latest step in the rapid institutionalisation of the three-way defence arrangement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on August 7, under which an armed attack against one member is to be treated as an attack against all three.
The emergency SPDC meeting comes less than two weeks after the three foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24. Dar, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed the implementation of the agreement and agreed to convene an urgent meeting of the three countries’ military chiefs.
The military chiefs subsequently met in Riyadh on September 25, reviewing threats facing Saudi Arabia and discussing intelligence sharing, military coordination and greater integration of defence capabilities. They reaffirmed their commitment to collective defence and to translating the Makkah agreement into practical military cooperation.
The alliance’s political and military response has gained urgency following a series of attacks attributed by Saudi Arabia to Yemen’s Houthis, including an attack on a power distribution station in Madinah.
Pakistan on Friday strongly condemned the attack and reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and the security of the Two Holy Mosques. The Houthis have denied responsibility for the Madinah attack. Source: Express Tribune.
