By Sumayya
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has verified that Pakistan and Turkiye have been providing backing to Saudi Arabia in its steps against Houthis in Yemen.
“Both lands [Pakistan and Turkiye] hold a presence here, but the army combatting remains that of Saudi Arabia. We remain here and providing any help they demand,” the defence leader said while speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Monday.
The Pakistani and Turkish militaries remain playing a supportive role in the clash, he said, adding that the two units were mixed in “checking fields and alternate things”.
“Saudi units remain engaged in combat, and they remain taking back land,” he said. His verification came after Islamabad, Riyadh and Ankara agreed to ensure the “quick deployment” of agreed army units and tools in Saudi Arabia.
The three lands took the choice at a crisis meeting of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA) in Riyadh, the Foreign Office said, adding that it would be carried out under “approved plans” and the national rules of the three lands.
The Saudi-led alliance combatting the Houthis said late on Monday that sea forces carried out an army operation in Yemen’s Red Sea area of Hodeidah.
The Yemeni state units had already taken top spots, including a runway in the Dhubab area at the mouth of Bab el-Mandeb Strait, whose takeover by the Houthis last month sent shock waves through power markets.
Meanwhile, the defence minister said that the Saudi-led alliance has taken back land from Houthis, saying the group has fallen back from several areas they took in Yemen last month.
“The Yemeni state remains at a profit there,” he added.
Asif made clear that Monday’s MJDA meeting in Riyadh stood targeted at formalising the group setup, with the choice of the defence pact’s secretary-general.
Pakistan’s Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood (retd) stood picked as the initial secretary-general of the MJDA for a three-year term, as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye moved to reinforce the group’s shared response to dangers facing the kingdom.
Islamabad, Riyadh and Ankara signed the Makkah three-way agreement on August 7, which provides for shared safety and defence teamwork among the three states.
Under the pact, an armed attack against any single of the three lands would be viewed as an attack against all three.
