Taliban Links Pakistan Strikes to Mecca Pact
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has accused Pakistan of escalating military strikes inside Afghanistan to avoid commitments under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye. Islamabad has not accepted the allegation and says its recent operations targeted sites linked to drone attacks against Pakistan.
Taliban Questions Pakistan’s Mecca Pact Commitment
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed Pakistan was deliberately creating the appearance of a wider conflict with Afghanistan so it could avoid becoming involved in Saudi Arabia’s confrontation with Yemen’s Houthis.
Mujahid alleged that Islamabad was using repeated strikes inside Afghanistan as a justification for staying out of another regional war. He provided no evidence establishing that Pakistan’s Afghanistan operations were connected to an attempt to escape its Mecca pact obligations.
Pakistan Says Strikes Targeted Drone Sites
Pakistan has said its latest air and drone strikes hit 10 locations inside Afghanistan used to store and launch drones directed towards Pakistani territory.
Islamabad described the operation as calibrated and limited to military objectives. Afghanistan denies responsibility for the alleged drone attacks and says civilians were killed in Pakistan’s strikes.
Houthi Attacks Test Saudi-Pakistan-Türkiye Pact
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, establishing a framework under which an armed attack against one member is regarded as an attack against all three.
Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia have since placed the new arrangement under its first major test. Pakistan has publicly maintained that it remains committed to the pact, while the three countries are preparing further military-level consultations.
