Dar says Makkah defence pact committee to meet next week on Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Friday that the Makkah Defence Alliance’s Strategic Political Defence Committee (SPDC) will convene in Riyadh next week. This committee, established under the trilateral "Makkah Accord", will focus on Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The SPDC is composed of foreign ministers, defence ministers, and chiefs of army staff from each member country – Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

The SPDC had previously held a special meeting of the three army chiefs in Riyadh on September 25, following increased Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Foreign ministers had also met in New York in response to the same issue. The upcoming meeting, deemed an emergency one, will be held next week, after the end of October or beginning of November, to review the current situation and ground reality, particularly concerning Saudi Arabia.

Responding to a question, Dar mentioned that the meeting was necessary to address the Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia, echoing the focus of the previous foreign ministers' meeting in New York. He also stated that Pakistan had already condemned a Houthi airstrike on a power plant in Madina, deeming it "not acceptable".

Dar noted that he had discussed the situation with Iran, reminding them of Pakistan's commitment to the trilateral agreement. Iran, however, denied any association with the Houthis and advised engaging them politically instead of resorting to kinetic action. The decision on potential SPDC expansion remains to be taken by the three countries after the upcoming meeting.

Dar also revealed that at least six countries have expressed interest in joining the Makkah defence pact, though this would not be possible until the agreement is fully operational, which could take at least a year. The accord, signed on August 7, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empower signatory states to consider an attack against one as an attack against all.

The SPDC's first meeting took place in Istanbul on August 31, with the alliance's secretariat initially headed by Pakistan for three years. Retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood was appointed as the first secretary general.