Pact members to decide response to attack, Pakistan military's spokesperson

ISLAMABAD -- Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said that if any one party to the Mecca defence pact comes under attack, the member countries will jointly determine a course of action and implement it.

In an interview with an Arab television channel, he said India was spending substantial resources to expand its military strength, while Pakistan’s defence capabilities were purely defensive in nature and did not mean the country was engaged in an arms race.

He said Pakistan had no aggressive intentions towards any country and was fully confident in its defensive capabilities. “We can not only defend ourselves but also punish aggression,” he said.

Asked about Pakistan’s political objectives, Lieutenant General Chaudhry said these were determined by the country’s political leadership. “The military and the state do not have separate objectives,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s goals and aspirations fell within the domain of the political leadership.

On Afghanistan, he said United Nations reports referred to dozens of terrorist organisations operating in the country. Pakistan’s position, he added, was that Afghanistan should not become a centre of terrorism and that its territory must not be used for terrorist activities against Pakistan.

Regarding a possible response to an attack on a party to the Mecca pact, the DG ISPR said the mechanism for implementing defence commitments was never disclosed publicly. The three countries, he said, would determine their course of action in the event of an attack.

He described the agreement as defensive in nature and aimed at promoting regional peace and stability. He added that military operations and security-related information were confidential and that decisions regarding any action would be taken by the three member states.

Lieutenant General Chaudhry said Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye also had strong and historic ties with China. He said the defence pact was not directed against any country and was intended to strengthen mutual defence cooperation.

On regional diplomacy, he said Pakistan had decided to play a mediatory role between Iran and the United States in the interest of regional peace. He said Pakistan supported peace in the region and maintained multifaceted relations with friendly countries, giving it a unique position to play the role of a neutral and honest mediator.