Pakistani military spokesman Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has confirmed that Pakistani forces are deployed on the ground in Saudi Arabia across multiple operational domains, serving under long-standing bilateral arrangements and the recently established Mecca Joint Defence Agreement.
– In an interview with CNN, Chaudhry stated that the presence of Pakistani armed forces in the Kingdom is firmly established rather than novel, pointing out that military personnel have maintained continuous operations alongside Saudi counterparts for decades.
– “I can confirm that we, the forces of Pakistan, are already there [in the Kingdom]. That I can share (with) you,” Chaudhry said when questioned about deployments under the mutual defence alliance.
– “Pakistani troops have been there for decades, and multiple capabilities have been there for decades in Saudi Arabia. As I said, this Mecca Alliance is not something that has come out in a vacuum. There is a sustained diplomatic, political, military relationship, people-to-people relationship between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. So I can share with you that the Pakistani forces in multiple capabilities and domains are already there.”
– The spokesman’s remarks follow a session of the Strategic-Political and Defence Committee of the Mecca Alliance for Defence held in Riyadh on 5 October, where officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye convened to address urgent security developments and threats directed at the Kingdom.
– The meeting followed a series of drone and missile strikes by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis targeting civilian and economic infrastructure across Saudi territory.
– During the Riyadh talks, officials reaffirmed their shared rejection of attacks against the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
– Under an earlier bilateral agreement signed in September last year, Islamabad dispatched 8,000 troops, a fighter squadron, and air defence batteries to reinforce the Kingdom.
Trump welcomes Türkiye, Pakistan defence support for Saudi Arabia under Mecca pact
– US President Donald Trump has said that he welcomes an agreement by Türkiye and Pakistan to provide military support to Saudi Arabia as part of a new collective defence arrangement involving the three countries.
– Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday before departing for Texas, Trump was asked about the decision by Türkiye and Pakistan to send military forces to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Defence Alliance.
– “I think they want to help Saudi Arabia, and I think that’s great,” he replied.
– Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan moved to strengthen their joint defence framework on Monday as senior political and military officials met in Riyadh for an emergency session.
– Türkiye’s foreign minister Hakan Fidan said the three countries discussed steps to support Saudi Arabia’s defence while also examining ways to resolve regional issues peacefully through dialogue.
– The alliance was established in August by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, with the three countries subsequently agreeing to build permanent institutions and strengthen collective deterrence and defence capabilities.
– According to Pakistan’s foreign ministry, the three countries agreed that military forces and capabilities could be rapidly deployed in Saudi Arabia under the alliance’s framework.
– The sides also condemned attempts to target the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah and reaffirmed their commitment to confronting attacks against Saudi Arabia and Islamic holy sites.
– Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said the alliance remains committed to confronting attacks and protecting the kingdom, while collective deterrence measures would be used against threats and those responsible.
– The Turkish government will submit a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to parliament within days, a spokesperson for the governing Justice and Development (Ak) Party said, setting the stage for a ratification process that could pave the way for a possible deployment of Turkish troops to Saudi Arabia.
– The Houthis have claimed responsibility for several recent attacks in the kingdom, including strikes targeting Saudi Aramco facilities, airports and military sites.
– Saudi Arabia has also reported Houthi attempts to target the holy cities of Mecca and Medina over the past nine years, including two incidents in September, drawing condemnation from Arab and Muslim countries.
– Confrontations between Yemen’s internationally recognised government forces and the Houthis have escalated since early July following years of relative calm.
– The country has been engulfed in war since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in 2014, before a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.
– The Houthis have been engaged in renewed fighting with government forces since Yemen’s civil war reignited in July, when the group declared a maritime blockade on Riyadh and began targeting its ships in the Red Sea.
https://www.trtworld.com/article/66b5a093ac7f