ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that protecting the holy sites is our duty regardless of the existence of the Makkah Agreement.
He said that he believes the situation has now reached a point where the Makkah Agreement must be invoked.
Speaking on a private TV, Khawaja Asif remarked that if an attack were to occur on Makkah, no formal agreement would be required to defend it.
The Defense Minister affirmed that the Makkah Agreement applies to us and we will fulfill our obligation; while he could not go into specifics, he emphasized that we are bound to honor the agreement.
Khawaja Asif added that he does not believe Iran, as a state, would open a new front in the region, noting that Pakistan has conveyed Saudi Arabia’s message to Iran.
He reiterated that protecting the holy sites is our duty even without the Makkah Agreement, adding that he believes the situation has reached a stage where the agreement needs to be implemented.
Makkah Alliance based on collective deterrence, Says DG ISPR
Pakistan Military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has described the Makkah Alliance as a purely defensive arrangement based on collective deterrence, saying the pact contains no offensive or aggressive element.
Speaking to Al Arabiya English, the DG ISPR said the alliance formalises a strategic relationship in a particular regional environment. He said a plain reading of the agreement, made public by the three governments, showed it was based on collective deterrence and had “no offensive, no interference, no aggressive element.”
