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Khawaja Asif, Pakistan's Defence Minister, stated on Thursday during an ARY News program that the Makkah Defence Alliance does not prohibit direct involvement by member states when one state faces a threat. This remark came in response to questions about potential ground troop deployment from Pakistan to Yemen amidst escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels. Asif highlighted that under the alliance agreement, member countries would intervene as if defending themselves should another member be attacked. The Makkah Defence Alliance was established on August 7 to strengthen collective defense mechanisms among its signatories, Islamabad, Riyadh, and Ankara.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 5, representatives from Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia met in Riyadh to discuss escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The meeting of the Makkah Defence Alliance’s Strategic Political Defence Committee (SPDC) included high-ranking officials such as Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. They agreed to implement rapid military deployment in Saudi Arabia to counter threats, including attacks on the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The decision followed a series of discussions during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where tensions over Houthi attacks were heightened. The pact also aims to enhance military integration and readiness among the member states.
Written for “Makkah Pact Meetings Deployments” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 16 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 66486 · logged 2026-10-08
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that no stipulation of the Makkah Defence Alliance barred the member states from getting “directly involved” in case of a threat to one of the members.
asserted
stipulation → say → members
He said this during ARY News programme ‘Khabar Muhammad Malick Ke Saath’ after he was asked about the possibility of Pakistan sending ground troops to Yemen amid an escalating conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia under the alliance, which comprises Islamabad, Riyadh and Ankara.
“To defend one of the member countries, the remaining two would get involved as if they are defending themselves,” he added.
asserted
he → say → themselves
The Makkah defence pact was signed on Aug 7 to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.
asserted
pact → sign → them
It has gained relevance amid renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
asserted
It → gain → Arabia
On Monday, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye agreed to the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in the kingdom during an emergency meeting of the Makkah Defence Alliance in Riyadh, which was held to address the security developments and threats facing Saudi Arabia.
asserted
which → agree → Arabia
A statement issued by the Foreign Office after the moot said the member states had “decided to move immediately to the practical implementation of the collective defence commitments and to take the necessary measures to provide the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensure their rapid deployment in the kingdom, in accordance with the approved arrangements and the national legislation of the parties, thereby enhancing readiness, military integration, and the collective capacity to confront and counter threats”.
asserted
states → issue → threats
Separately, Asif, who was part of Pakistan’s delegation in the meeting, joined Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ via telephone the same day and said Pakistan and Turkiye had a “presence in theatre”, but only Saudi troops were involved in combat operations.
asserted
troops → join → operations
On Wednesday, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry also said Pakistani troops were in Saudi Arabia, adding that they had been in the kingdom “for decades” and across multiple domains.
asserted
they → say → domains
Earlier, on Sept 18, Lt Gen Chaudhry also said Pakistan would go to “any extent” to defend the Gulf state, adding that Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security is “unconditional”.
asserted
commitment → say → security
Asif has also reaffirmed that Pakistan will “practically and diplomatically” stand by Saudi Arabia against Yemen’s Houthi rebels if the situation escalates.
asserted
situation → reaffirm → rebels
The defence minister said that Pakistan would fulfil all its obligations under the Makkah Defence Alliance in accordance with the terms of the agreement between the three countries.
asserted
Pakistan → say → countries
At the same time, Pakistan has also asserted that the alliance is intended for collective deterrence and is defensive in nature.
asserted
alliance → assert → nature
Meanwhile, the information ministry has dismissed a news report claiming that Pakistan Air Force aircraft were being used against Yemen’s Houthis as “fake and fabricated”.
asserted
aircraft → dismiss → Houthis
Earlier this week, the ministry also termed a Reuters report claiming the deployment of 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia as “speculative”.
asserted
ministry → term → Arabia
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