Pakistan rejects Reuters report on Saudi troop dep...

Summary

• Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye formally established the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7.
• On September 25, senior military officials from the three countries condemned attacks targeting Makkah and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting Saudi Arabia under the defence agreement.
• The Makkah pact builds on years of military cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and expands the relationship into a trilateral security framework involving Türkiye.

AI Generated Summary

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has rejected a Reuters report about the country’s military deployment under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, describing details in the report as speculative and based on unidentified sources.

The ministry said operational details related to the implementation of the collective defence arrangement remain confidential. It also urged the public and media to rely on official statements issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office and other relevant authorities rather than reports based on unnamed sources.

The response came after a Reuters report claimed that Pakistan had deployed between 30,000 and 40,000 troops to Saudi Arabia to help protect the kingdom’s land borders and assist with countering drone and missile threats. The report, citing an unnamed Pakistani official, also said Islamabad had not decided to deploy troops to Yemen for combat operations.

In its statement, the information ministry reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the security of Saudi Arabia and the protection of the Haramain Sharifain in Makkah and Madina. It described this commitment as non-negotiable.

The ministry criticised what it called unverified figures and details, saying official authorities should be consulted for information concerning the defence agreement.