RAWALPINDI: Pakistan has no objection to additional countries joining the Makkah mutual defence agreement, provided they share its commitment to collective defence and regional peace, the military’s spokesperson said in an interview with Reuters.
Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said there was no restriction on new members joining the agreement.
He said countries sharing a common position on collective defence and regional stability would be welcomed, while any decision on Iran’s possible inclusion would rest with the political leadership of the three founding parties.
Chaudhry said decisions on the deployment of Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia would also be made by the political leadership of both countries, depending on the prevailing circumstances.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the defence of Saudi Arabia and the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah.
On the conflict in Yemen, the military spokesperson said Pakistan was not a party to the dispute, describing it as a matter involving internal Yemeni factions.
Pakistan hopeful of progress in Iran-US mediation
Chaudhry said Pakistan remained hopeful about its mediation efforts involving Iran and the United States, adding that there were signs of positive progress.
He questioned why Field Marshal Asim Munir would have travelled to Iran twice if there had been no encouraging developments in the diplomatic efforts.
He said Pakistan’s diplomatic initiatives to reduce tensions in the conflict involving Iran were continuing, although some elements still wanted the confrontation to persist.
Counterterrorism operations in KP
Commenting on security operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the ISPR chief said counterterrorism activities in the province were based on intelligence-led operations.
He said the scope and pace of intelligence-based operations would be further expanded to combat terrorism.
