Pakistan warns Yemen: Attack on Saudi Arabia is an attack on us

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, referring to tensions between Riyadh and Sanaa, said that any unjustified aggression against a member country, or the spread of the Yemeni conflict to Saudi territory, would activate the collective defense provisions of the agreement signed last month by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Mecca.

 

He stressed that Pakistan would adhere to its commitments to Saudi Arabia under the agreement. Asif clarified that "there should be no doubt about this. We are obliged to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement and we will act on them if needed."

 

Islamabad, along with Riyadh and Ankara, recently signed a defense agreement known as the trilateral “Mecca” agreement.

 

“An attack on one country is an attack on all others,” is the main clause of the agreement. Pakistan and Turkey have been passive in recent weeks, despite the escalation of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and have done little to help their defense partner in the Mecca agreement.

 

At the same time, Asif emphasized the “defensive” nature of the Mecca pact, saying that “this is not an aggressive agreement under which the three countries will attack another country on their own initiative. But if there is aggression against one of the member countries, all three member countries will respond.”

 

He expressed hope that tensions will subside, but warned Yemenis against escalating the conflict.

 

Asif went on to say that if Yemen were to escalate the conflict, “the provisions of the agreement will be operationalized to counter aggression.”

 

The Pakistani defense minister also stressed that the Mecca agreement could act as a deterrent and did not necessarily mean that the three countries would respond with military force to aggression.

 

He stressed that the combined military capabilities of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey should act as a deterrent.

 

He said that Saudi Arabia should not be dragged into Yemen’s internal conflict and expressed hope that diplomatic efforts could help prevent further escalation of tensions.

 

The Pakistani defense minister’s remarks came on Tuesday, hours after Yemeni armed forces launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the country’s economic and energy infrastructure.

 

Yemeni armed forces said on Tuesday that Tuesday’s attacks were in retaliation for recent Saudi airstrikes on areas in northwestern Yemen. These mutual tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen continue today, Wednesday.