‘Attack on one is attack on all’: Pakistan warns Houthis, invokes Mecca defence pact

Pakistan warns Houthis that its defence alliance with Saudi Arabia and Turkey

Pakistan warned Tuesday that its newly formed defence alliance with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye could be activated if the conflict in Yemen spills into Saudi territory, saying there should be “no ambiguity” that an attack on any one of the three members would be treated as an attack on all.Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif said the agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Makkah last month was defensive in nature and required the three countries to respond if any member came under unprovoked aggression.“There should be no ambiguity; there is no need for any clarity that this is a joint defence agreement,” Asif said in an interview with Geo TV. He added that Pakistan was “bound by the terms and conditions of this pact” and would honour its commitments to Saudi Arabia if required.His comments came hours after Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia, targeting cities as well as economic and energy infrastructure. At least 73 civilians were injured, according to the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen.Asif stressed that the alliance did not give its members a mandate to launch offensive operations against another country on their own initiative.“This is not an aggressive agreement under which the three countries would, on their own initiative, attack another country. But if there is any aggression against one member state, all three member states will respond,” he said.The minister said he was not aware of any contact between Islamabad and Riyadh following the latest Houthi attacks. He also expressed hope that tensions would ease, while warning the Houthis against extending the Yemen conflict into Saudi Arabia.“If they try to export them, the clauses of this agreement to counter aggression will become operative,” Asif said.Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif separately condemned the Houthi attacks, describing them as “cowardly” and saying they threatened civilian lives as well as regional peace and security. He said Pakistan stood in “unwavering” solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed support for the kingdom’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.The Saudi-led coalition said the attacks had temporarily disrupted operations at some targeted sites, while specialised teams worked to contain fires and secure the facilities. Riyadh also warned against continued attacks on civilians and commercial shipping.The Houthis said the attacks were retaliation for recent Saudi airstrikes on areas of northwestern Yemen under their control. The group had also accused Saudi Arabia of bombing a prison in Al Hazm on Monday, killing at least 11 people.Asif described the Houthis as “non-state actors” and said sympathy for Iran’s position in its ongoing conflict with the United States existed across parts of the Muslim world, including Yemen. But he cautioned against allowing those sentiments to widen the conflict.He also said the Mecca alliance could act as a deterrent without necessarily requiring a military response to every attack.“We don’t need to respond to a brick with a stone,” Asif said, arguing that the combined military capabilities of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye should themselves serve as a deterrent.