Pakistan committed to Saudi defence agreement in ‘intent and spirit’: FO

Pakistan is committed to implementing the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) with Saudi Arabia and the trilateral Makkah Defence Alliance, but operational details of any military response will remain confidential, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said on Thursday.

Responding to a question at his weekly briefing, the FO spokesperson said Pakistan was committed to the agreements “in intent and spirit”, but details regarding when, how and where force would be used, against which objectives and through what means required operational confidentiality.

“Operational matters would remain discreet at this stage,” he said.

The spokesperson said Pakistan continued to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Middle East amid continued Houthi attacks.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had strongly condemned the attempted drone attack targeting the holy sites of Makkah al-Mukarramah and expressed deep anguish over the incident. The prime minister also praised the Royal Saudi Armed Forces for their vigilance and response.

Shehbaz called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation, while reaffirming Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the sanctity and security of Haramain Sharifain.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also condemned the attempted attack, saying it violated Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, offended the religious sentiments of Muslims worldwide and threatened regional peace and security.

Earlier this week, Pakistan had also condemned drone attacks targeting the East-West pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, which, according to the FO, damaged the pipeline and injured civilians.

The FO spokesperson said PM Shehbaz had spoken to Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on September 13 and reiterated Pakistan’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for de-escalation and peace efforts in the region.

“Pakistan remains concerned over the continuing escalation and its implications for regional peace and security, maritime navigation and global energy supplies,” he said, reiterating Islamabad’s call for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve differences and prevent further escalation.

Separately, the spokesperson said Pakistan had lodged a strong protest with India over what it described as an “aggressive” manoeuvre by an Indian naval vessel in Pakistan’s exclusive economic zone on September 15 during a Pakistan Navy exercise. He said the incident resulted in contact between the two vessels and that Pakistan had asked India to adhere to international law and bilateral agreements aimed at preventing incidents at sea.

The FO also briefed the media on recent diplomatic engagements with Lebanon, the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO RATS), Pakistan-China border cooperation and Prime Minister Shehbaz’s upcoming visit to New York for the UN General Assembly session.

The spokesperson also acknowledged the retirement of Foreign Secretary Ambassador Aamna Baloch, praising her more than three decades of service to Pakistan’s diplomatic corps.

On the multilateral front, he confirmed, PM Shehbaz will lead Pakistan’s delegation to the high-level segment of the 81st session of the UNGA in New York next week, accompanied by DPM Dar, other federal ministers, and senior officials.

“In his speech and at the UNGA, the premier will highlight Pakistan’s perspective on regional and global developments, reaffirming the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, restraint, and peaceful resolution of disputes. He will outline Pakistan’s priorities on sustainable development, climate change, counterterrorism, Islamophobia, global economic challenges, UN reforms, and issues confronting the Global South while drawing attention to the situations in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Palestine,” he said.

During the visit, he will participate in high-level events and hold bilateral meetings with world leaders and the UN Secretary-General, highlighting Pakistan’s commitment to multilateralism, the UN Charter, regional peace, and international cooperation, the FO maintained.

Sajjad also apprised the forum that Pakistan and China operationalised Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission on September 16, with its inaugural meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad a day ago. Co-chaired by senior officials from both sides, the commission will strengthen cooperation in border management, joint surveys, trade facilitation, and people-people connectivity, he maintained.