Dar arrives in Madinah ahead of Makkah defence pact meeting

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in the holy city of Madinah on Monday ahead of a meeting in Riyadh being held under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, Dar visited the Roza-e-Rasool (peace be upon him) and offered prayers for Pakistan’s peace and prosperity, the well-being of its people and the Muslim Ummah. He also prayed for regional peace and stability.

Dar later departed Madinah for Riyadh, where he will attend a meeting of the defence committee under the Makkah defence agreement.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Field Marshal Asim Munir will also participate in the meeting.

Earlier, the Turkish foreign ministry said that a committee of the Makkah defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey will hold talks in ‌Riyadh on Monday.

The announcement comes as the fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi militia escalates.

The leader of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government ​announced on Sunday the beginning of ⁠a major military operation against the Iran-backed ​Houthis earlier on Sunday, aimed at seizing ​the territory under their control.

According to reports, Iran had suggested engaging Yemen’s ​Houthis politically after attacks by the ​group, an idea that the Makkah defence pact ‌committee ⁠would discuss at a meeting in Riyadh this week.

“The meeting will address recent developments in the region and the stage ​reached in ​the Alliance’s ⁠institutionalisation efforts,” the Turkish statement said.

It said Turkish Foreign Minister ​Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler ​and ⁠chief of the General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu would attend the meeting of the ⁠pact’s ​strategic political and defence ​committee, along with officials from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.