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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPakistan\u2019s military has rushed to give a definition to the newly formed Mecca Defence Alliance, saying the pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey is meant for collective deterrence and has \u201cno regional aspirations\u201d, even as questions grow over how the agreement would work if one of its members comes under attack.Pakistan\u2019s inter-services public relations (ISPR) director general Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, speaking to Al Arabiya, said the agreement was \u201cdefensive\u201d and \u201ccomplementary\u201d to the three countries\u2019 existing alliances and relationships.\u201cIt is defensive. There\u2019s nothing aggressive. There are no regional aspirations. It is collective deterrence,\u201d Chaudhry said.The comments come as the pact faces questions over its first potential test. The alliance has been put under scrutiny amid the conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces, with uncertainty over whether Riyadh has sought military assistance from Islamabad and how Pakistan would respond if it did.The pact was signed on August 7 and says an attack on one member would be treated as an attack on all. Pakistan is to initially head its secretariat for three years.Also read: Mecca Pact, but no troops yet: Pakistan expresses ‘solidarity’ with Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks on kingdom<\/a><\/p>\n Chaudhry was pressed on precisely that question during the Al Arabiya interview: whether Pakistan had a mutual defence obligation under the agreement and what it would actually do if one of the members came under attack.He said the publicly released text made the mutual defence commitment clear, but stressed that the operational details of how such a commitment would be implemented were classified.\u201cWhat you\u2019re asking is the how part \u2014 how we are going to defend Pakistan against any aggression,\u201d he said, adding that such decisions would be for the three countries to make.The distinction is significant because the pact has not yet been tested in an actual conflict. The first major test could become the escalating Houthi-Saudi confrontation, with questions remaining over when an attack would trigger the alliance and what form military assistance would take.The uncertainty is also not entirely new. Pakistan\u2019s parliament had unanimously rejected a request in 2015 to send troops to join the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis. Pakistan also shares a long border with Iran, giving Islamabad an additional security consideration as it navigates its relationship with Riyadh and Tehran.<\/p>\n Chaudhry also rejected the idea that the Mecca Defence Alliance was being designed as a broader Muslim military bloc.\u201cThere is nothing in the pact that says that it is a Muslim alliance,\u201d he said, describing it instead as an arrangement aimed at regional stability.He said other countries could potentially join if they shared the principles of non-aggression, non-interference and collective deterrence, but stressed that any expansion would be a decision for the leaders of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.The comments come amid speculation about possible expansion of the grouping. Turkey had previously suggested Egypt could join, although Cairo has not confirmed any such move. Pakistan\u2019s foreign office has meanwhile said the immediate priority was to consolidate the new organisation before considering expansion.<\/p>\n Chaudhry also sought to reassure Beijing that the new arrangement was not aimed at competing with Pakistan\u2019s relationship with China.Asked whether the alliance complemented or competed with Islamabad\u2019s ties with Beijing, he said it was complementary.He argued that Pakistan\u2019s relationships with Saudi Arabia and Turkey were longstanding and that the three countries also maintained good relations with China.\u201cEveryone understands that this is defensive,\u201d Chaudhry said, adding that the pact was intended to maintain \u201cstability and peace in the region\u201d.<\/p>\n The military spokesperson was also asked whether the defence pact complicated Pakistan\u2019s efforts to mediate between the US and Iran amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.Chaudhry rejected that suggestion, saying the pact formalised longstanding relationships rather than creating a new strategic alignment against another country.He described Pakistan as being in a \u201cunique position\u201d because of its engagement with different countries and said Islamabad could therefore act as an \u201cobjective arbiter of peace\u201d and an \u201chonest broker\u201d.Pakistan, he said, wanted a negotiated and peaceful resolution rather than a military solution.That position is particularly relevant as Islamabad balances its strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia with its geographic proximity to Iran.Chaudhry said Pakistan’s decision to mediate was driven by a desire for regional peace and that the country would continue engaging the parties involved.<\/div>\n File photo: Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry Pakistan\u2019s military has rushed to give a definition to the newly formed Mecca Defence Alliance, saying the pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey is meant for collective deterrence and has \u201cno regional aspirations\u201d, even as questions grow over how the agreement would work if one 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photo: Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry Pakistan\u2019s military has rushed to give a definition to the newly formed Mecca Defence Alliance, saying the pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey is meant for collective deterrence and has \u201cno regional aspirations\u201d, even as questions grow over how the agreement would work if one […]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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happens if Saudi Arabia is attacked?<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Not a Muslim military bloc<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Pakistan says pact does not compete with China ties<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Why Pakistan is walking a diplomatic tightrope<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"