ReportedMilitary & securityIslamabad, Pakistan
Pakistan's defence minister says it is time to implement Mecca pact after Houthi attacks
- Mountain Time
- Local time
- 5:35 PM in Karachi
- Where
- Islamabad, Pakistan
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo News the time had come to implement the Mecca defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye because of Houthi attacks, saying Pakistan was committed to protecting Saudi Arabia and its holy sites; he said Pakistan had conveyed Riyadh's message to Iran and did not think 'Iran as a state will open another front.'
Why it matters
Activating the pact could pull Pakistan and Turkiye into the Saudi-Houthi war, though Asif stopped short of announcing any deployment.
Sources (3)
- The Weektheweek.in
- Al Jazeeraaljazeera.com
- Al Jazeera live blogaljazeera.comPublished
Confidence: Published by a named news organization. Not yet independently confirmed. About confidence labels
Correction
- Corrected the time from 8:10 PM Karachi time, Sep 17, 2026 to 5:35 PM Karachi time, Sep 17, 2026; corrected the headline (it read "Pakistan Defense Minister Says Islamabad Will Invoke Mecca Pact After Houthi Drone Incident"); revised the summary; revised the context note; updated the sourcing note; added a source: Al Jazeera live blog. Why and evidence