Pakistan to Discuss Political Engagement With Ansarullah in Riyadh

By Staff, Agencies

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said an upcoming meeting in Riyadh will discuss operations carried out by Ansarullah against Saudi Arabia and explore political engagement with the Yemeni movement as an alternative to military action.

Dar said the meeting, scheduled to take place in Riyadh next week, will focus on ways to pursue political engagement with Ansarullah rather than relying on a military approach.

“The Riyadh meeting will discuss political engagement with the Houthis instead of military action,” he said.

The meeting comes after the Yemeni Armed Forces engaged in ground confrontations with Saudi-backed forces across several provinces, following what the source described as preemptive strikes against Saudi military mobilization efforts.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have continued targeting vital facilities in Saudi Arabia in response to what Sanaa describes as continued aggression and blockade.

At the same time, Saudi aircraft have continued carrying out raids on the provinces of Marib, al-Jawf, Taiz and Hodeidah, including attacks that the source says targeted civilian sites and infrastructure.

In a related development, Dar said no new requests to join the existing Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement would be considered until the agreement becomes fully operational. He added that the procedural process could take up to a year.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement on August 7 during a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The agreement aims to “enhance collective deterrence and security and stability,” while affirming that it does not replace the three countries’ existing international obligations.