Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said the Strategic Partnership Defence Committee (SPDC) of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye will hold an emergency meeting in Riyadh next week to discuss the recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at a press briefing on Pakistan’s engagements during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and related high-level meetings, Dar said the three countries had agreed in principle to convene the meeting after their foreign and defence officials held discussions in New York.
The SPDC was established under the trilateral Makkah Accord and comprises the foreign ministers, defence ministers and army chiefs of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
Dar said the three army chiefs had already held a meeting in Riyadh on September 25, while the foreign ministers had met earlier in New York amid growing Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia.
He said the upcoming Riyadh meeting would review the latest developments and assess the situation on the ground, particularly in relation to Saudi Arabia.
According to Dar, the meeting will be an emergency session, while another SPDC meeting is expected around the end of October or the beginning of November as part of the committee’s regular work.
Dar said the recent airstrike on a power facility in Madinah, attributed to the Houthis, had already been condemned by Pakistan and described the incident as unacceptable.
He said he had also held detailed discussions with Iran regarding the Houthi attacks. According to Dar, Iranian officials denied any association with the Houthis or Iraqi militias.
Iran, he added, suggested that the Houthis should be engaged politically instead of pursuing kinetic action. Dar stressed that the suggestion was part of a discussion between the two foreign ministers and that any decision would ultimately be taken by the three SPDC member states.
Responding to a question about the possible expansion of the Makkah Defence Pact, Dar said at least six countries had expressed interest in joining the agreement.
However, he said expansion would only be considered once the pact became fully operational, a process expected to take at least a year.
Dar said the agreement itself allows other countries to join provided they accept the principles agreed upon by the existing members.
The defence pact, signed on August 7, aims to strengthen collective deterrence and provides that an attack against one member would be treated as an attack against all signatories.
The SPDC held its first meeting in Istanbul on August 31, where it was decided that Pakistan would initially head the alliance’s secretariat for three years.
During the briefing, Dar also said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres would visit Pakistan before the end of his tenure.
He said Guterres had accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan following a meeting with the Pakistani delegation during the UN General Assembly session.
Dar praised the UN chief’s support for Pakistan, particularly his role in assisting the country during major natural disasters.
Guterres’ current term is scheduled to end on December 31, and Dar said the visit would likely take place before then.
The deputy prime minister said the government would announce the details of the visit in due course and expressed hope that it would be a memorable occasion.
During a recent meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Guterres discussed major regional and international developments. The UN secretary-general also acknowledged Pakistan’s role in efforts related to the Middle East peace process.
