Islamabad: The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye remains stable and is not in jeopardy despite recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, according to Sardar Masood Khan, a former Pakistani ambassador and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

According to President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan emphasized that the alliance’s foundational principle of collective defense remains intact. Writing in Al Jazeera Arabic, he noted that Pakistan is bound by the 2025 Pakistan-Saudi Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement and the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, both of which regard an armed attack against one signatory as an attack against all.

The immediate challenge of applying the Mecca Agreement has arisen following Houthi attacks on Saudi territory and strategic locations like the Red Sea and Bab-al-Mandab Strait. This situation poses a diplomatic challenge for Pakistan, which maintains close ties with Saudi Arabia while also attempting to mediate between Iran and the United States.

Khan clarified that the alliance is aimed at collective deterrence, involving military exercises and joint defense production, rather than offensive actions. The agreement does not target any specific country and lacks a nuclear weapons component. However, strategic ambiguity persists regarding the conditions triggering Pakistan’s military intervention under the agreement, which is still in its formative phase.

Despite this ambiguity, Pakistan’s longstanding contributions to Saudi Arabia’s security, including personnel and training, render the Mecca Agreement partially operative. Khan affirmed that the collective-defense principle is central to the alliance, not merely cosmetic.

The Houthi attacks complicate regional diplomacy as Saudi Arabia seeks support from various partners, while the United States engages with the Houthis. Claims regarding an attack on Makkah have further heightened sensitivities. Khan described Pakistan’s position as a diplomatic tightrope, underscoring its need to support Saudi Arabia while mediating between conflicting parties.

He concluded that the ultimate aim should be an end to the conflict and a rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran, advocating for diplomacy as the path to mutually beneficial solutions.