Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar said that the Political and Defense Strategy Committee of the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” between his country, Saudi Arabia and Turkey will hold an emergency meeting in Riyadh, next week, to discuss the Houthi group’s attacks on the Kingdom.
Ishaq Dar added, in a press conference on Friday, that the committee will determine the next steps during the meeting, speaking about the desire of more than 6 countries to join the “Mecca Pact,” according to the Reuters news agency.
For its part, the Pakistani army said in a statement carried by the agency on Friday that its senior commanders strongly condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, and expressed their solidarity with the Kingdom and their commitment to the security of Islamic holy sites.
It is noteworthy that the “Mecca Agreement” signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, on August 7, included considering any attack on one of its parties as targeting all of them.
The joint military response is subject to evaluation by the members, especially the country under attack, after studying the extent of its need according to the nature of the attack, the level and seriousness of the threat, and the required participation of the parties, in order to achieve the desired integration.
On August 31, Istanbul hosted the first meeting of the political and defense strategic committee emanating from the “Mecca Agreement,” with the participation of the foreign and defense ministers and the chiefs of staff of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
During the meeting, the three countries reaffirmed their determination to work together within the framework of the “Mecca Agreement” to achieve sustainable peace and stability in their region, and to continue supporting efforts aimed at reducing escalation and restraint, in a way that encourages the peaceful resolution of crises, based on their keenness to carry out their regional responsibilities.
The foreign ministers of the three countries held a meeting in New York on September 24, during which they reviewed the progress made regarding the establishment of the General Secretariat, the committees and working teams emanating from the agreement, and the preparations to begin their work.
The ministers also condemned the attacks that targeted Mecca, and civil and economic installations in the Kingdom, stressing Saudi Arabia’s right to take the measures it deems appropriate to defend its security in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
On September 25, the chiefs of staff of the three countries reviewed, during a meeting hosted by Riyadh, the security situation and attacks on Saudi Arabia, and condemned the attacks that targeted Mecca and the Kingdom’s civil and economic infrastructure.
The participants discussed ways to move forward in enhancing cooperation between the armed forces of the three countries, and developing intelligence cooperation, military coordination, and integration of capabilities, in a way that contributes to enhancing deterrence and collective defense.
Flydubai announced the temporary suspension of its flights to Tel Aviv until further notice, at the request of the competent authorities, following the security incident witnessed by flight FZ1073 heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which led to its diversion and landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia on September 30 last year.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of Flydubai, said that all 172 passengers on the flight, along with the crew members, are fine, noting that the plane’s captain returned to the UAE after receiving the necessary medical evaluation.
He added that the carrier continues to provide support to those affected by the incident, while its teams are working around the clock to help passengers reach their final destinations after flights to Tel Aviv were suspended.
In a statement sent to Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Ghaith praised the captain who took command of the plane, and the pilots on duty who worked to secure it and land it safely, in addition to the flight crew members, expressing his appreciation to the passengers who helped the crew while dealing with the situation.
The CEO of Flydubai also thanked the competent authorities in Saudi Arabia for their “quick and professional response in these exceptional circumstances,” and to the authorities and relevant authorities in the Emirates for their support of passengers and crew members during their return to the country.
Regarding the circumstances of the incident, Al Ghaith confirmed that an official investigation is being conducted by the competent authorities, with the full support of Flydubai, calling for allowing room for investigation to determine the facts related to what happened on board the flight.
“I know there are many questions about what happened on board Flight FZ1073,” he said, adding that it was important to let the official investigation take its course to establish the facts.
Al Ghaith stressed that the company is grateful for the safety of all those on board the flight, and for the support it received from its customers, employees and partners in the sector, stressing that “safety will always remain our highest priority.”
