Ankara, Oct 16 — Increasing attacks from Houthis on Saudi Arabia are testing Pakistan's ability to defend Riyadh without affecting its ties with Iran even as experts warn that Islamabad's deeper military involvement could have major consequences at home and across the border, a report has detailed.
"Islamabad’s dilemma brings together two relationships it has strong reasons to preserve – a defence and financial partnership with Riyadh, and cooperation with Tehran on border security, trade, energy and regional diplomacy," a report in Turkey's leading Anadolu Agency stated.
On August 7, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. Under the pact, an attack on any one country would be considered an attack on all three nations. The agreement reflected the shared commitment of the three nations "to further strengthen their collective security and to promote peace, security, and stability in the region and beyond, in pursuit of a secure and prosperous future", a statement released by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned.
"Pakistan cannot stay idle as it has committed itself to Saudi Arabia's defence," Anadolu Agency quoted a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham Umer Karim as saying. However, he said that defending Saudi Arabia against Iran-backed Houthis could affect Pakistan's efforts to deepen ties with Tehran and facilitate talks between Iran and the US.
Apart from military cooperation, Saudi Arabia has also offered financial support to Pakistan to help manage pressure on its external finances, including a pledge of additional USD three billion in financial assistance along with an extension of an existing USD five billion deposit.
Iranian lawmakers have criticised Pakistan’s increasing military alignment with Saudi Arabia. Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei voiced concern over reports of possible deployment of Pakistani soldiers, adding that he hoped it was only a "rumour."
Pakistan's leadership had offered reassurance, with President Asif Ali Zardari saying that the agreement was "defensive and not directed against any country" while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi security the following day.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has said its forces would defend Saudi Arabia instead of entering Yemen to carry out attacks against Houthis. On Friday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said that Islamabad has deployed a “substantial” number of military forces and resources in Saudi Arabia, Rabia Ali wrote in Ankara-based Anadolu Agency.