Pakistan on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) with Saudi Arabia and the trilateral Makkah Defence Alliance amid renewed tensions in the Middle East.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Islamabad remained committed to the agreements “in intent and spirit”, but details regarding any potential military response would remain confidential due to operational considerations.
He urged Yemen’s Houthi rebels to halt their activities, particularly amid heightened tensions around the Bab al-Mandeb, and said Pakistan favoured resolving regional disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.
PM Shehbaz to Attend UNGA
The spokesperson also confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will lead Pakistan’s delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly session in New York next week.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and several federal ministers will accompany him. The prime minister is expected to highlight Pakistan’s positions on regional conflicts, climate change, counter-terrorism, Islamophobia, global economic challenges, UN reforms, Kashmir and Palestine.
FO Rejects Reports on Sikh Pilgrims
Khan rejected reports that Pakistani Sikh pilgrims were stopped at Faisalabad airport while travelling to India, calling the reports part of a “malicious media campaign”.
He said the pilgrims’ visas had been issued by the Indian High Commission independently and were not covered by the 1974 Pakistan-India protocol on visits to religious shrines. Khan reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to welcome Sikh pilgrims and said the Kartarpur Corridor remained closed from the Indian side.
Pakistan Defends China Border Agreement
The FO spokesperson also rejected India’s objections to the Pakistan-China Joint Boundary Demarcation Commission, saying the 1963 Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement remained valid.
He described China as an “all-weather strategic corporate partner” and urged India to review its own actions in Indian-occupied Kashmir instead of challenging the border agreement.
