ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Friday it had deployed additional troops to Saudi Arabia under a bilateral defense pact signed last year, with any further mobilization to be determined by a trilateral alliance with the Kingdom and Türkiye amid escalating regional tensions.

The announcement follows an emergency meeting of the alliance’s Strategic Political and Defense Committee in Riyadh on Oct. 5, where foreign and defense ministers and military chiefs from the three countries agreed to accelerate implementation of their collective defense commitments.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a bilateral Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) last year, while the two countries and Türkiye concluded the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all three.

The developments come amid intensified attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on airports in Riyadh and Abha on Oct. 6 and 7 that reportedly killed three people and injured 36 others.

“Since 1982 Pakistan armed forces have been present [in the Kingdom] in some way or the other ... And ever since SMDA which is the Pakistan and Saudi bilateral defense agreement, which was signed last year, again there has been some deployment,” Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told his weekly news briefing.

“Now again in the recent, SPDC’s [Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Makkah alliance] meeting, the three countries have decided that appropriate mobilization will be done as per the requirement,” he added.

Khan said the alliance’s headquarters in Riyadh would determine the size, timing and location of any further deployments, based on its assessment of security threats.

“The organization and the alliance at the headquarters will decide how much, when and where such a deployment has to be obtained and the countries which are part of the alliance will be appropriately provided,” he added.

Khan said Pakistan already had a substantial military presence and resources in Riyadh, while decisions on additional deployments would be made collectively.

“The joint statement was very expressive when it said that the three countries are together in terms of ensuring deterrence as well as providing for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.

“And from Pakistan already we have substantial number of forces as well as resources in town, in Riyadh. And now it’s for the organization to see the threat perception and then operate as per its own mandate,” he added.

Khan reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security and its right to defend its territory and critical infrastructure.

“Let me reiterate, Pakistan stands in unwavering solidarity with the Kingdom. In line with the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, our commitment to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security remains resolute. We reaffirm the Kingdom’s legitimate right to defend its people and protect its critical infrastructure,” he said.

‘DEFENSIVE ALLIANCE’

Khan stressed that the trilateral arrangement was defensive in nature and did not envisage Pakistani forces conducting cross-border military operations.

“Makkah Alliance is a defensive organization,” he said. “It’s an alliance which is meant for the defense from aggression. So, these forces would not be, you know, crossing the borders on the other side.”

He declined to discuss potential operational responses by the alliance, saying it would be inappropriate to speculate about the countries or forces that might be involved.

The spokesperson also rejected suggestions that decisions on the alliance had been taken without the Pakistani government’s involvement, pointing out that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Defense Minister Khawaja Asif were part of the committee overseeing the arrangement.

“Both of them are politicians and are part of parliament as well as the cabinet. So, the government is totally on board.”

He described Saudi Arabia as a longstanding strategic partner and said the defense agreements had strengthened existing cooperation between the two countries.

Khan also dismissed foreign media reports suggesting Pakistani fighter jets had participated in cross-border operations, describing them as speculative and noting that Pakistan’s information minister had already rejected the claims.

PAKISTANI COMMUNITY AT RISK

The spokesperson said the escalation also posed risks to the approximately 2.5 million Pakistanis living and working in Saudi Arabia, making the Kingdom’s security a direct concern for Islamabad.

Referring to the recent killing of a Pakistani truck driver in Yemen, Khan warned that further escalation could endanger more Pakistani nationals.

“And so, the risk of anyone falling prey to this escalation is there and that’s the reason that Pakistan has always advocated de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy and at the same time our resolve is there to protect the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia as well as provide our community with all that is required for their welfare also,” he said.