Pakistan's position on deployments
Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Sajjad Haider Khan said on Friday that Pakistan already has a "substantial number" of forces and resources deployed in Riyadh for defensive purposes. He did not say whether troop numbers had increased since the defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey was signed in August. He added that Pakistani personnel in the kingdom would not cross the border to attack the Houthis, and that their role is to defend Saudi territory.
The Mecca defence pact commits the three countries to assist one another if any one of them is attacked. After an emergency meeting of its political and defence strategic committee in Riyadh on 5 October, the joint statement said the committee had decided to move quickly to implement collective defence obligations and to provide military capabilities. Sources say the number, timing and location of any deployments will be decided by the trilateral alliance, whose headquarters is in Riyadh and whose secretary general is a retired Pakistani lieutenant general.
Attacks on Saudi Arabia
Houthi forces have launched a series of air strikes on Saudi Arabia after a fast military push near the border. A strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday killed three people, including the pilot of a Saudi Airlines aircraft. Attacks have also targeted Abha International Airport near the border, according to Czech public broadcaster ČT.
The Houthis are fighting the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, and Iran-backed fighters have repeatedly struck Saudi targets since launching their offensive. Pakistan has long mediated between Iran and Washington since the United States and Israel went to war with Tehran, which complicates any direct role in the fighting.
Turkey and Pakistan's military role
Turkish Foreign Minister said that the pact is a defence agreement and that Turkey will not send military personnel to another country for an attack. Turkey is supplying weapons and intelligence and logistics support to Saudi Arabia, according to ČT, but any further deployment must be approved by the Turkish parliament.
The Pakistani army spokesman, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, told CNN that Pakistani forces are already in Saudi Arabia and that details are classified. He said "various capabilities" of forces have been in the kingdom for decades and that the Mecca alliance "did not happen in a vacuum".
Domestic scrutiny in Pakistan
According to Deutsche Welle, the Shehbaz Sharif government agreed to the rapid deployment of further troops to Saudi Arabia without a parliamentary vote. The information ministry said "all necessary procedures have been completed" but did not say whether the cabinet or parliament was involved, calling the details an "operational secrecy matter". Reuters, citing a report, said the move highlights the army's firm grip on foreign policy under Field Marshal Asim Munir.
A New York Times report, citing a senior military source, claimed Pakistani fighter jets were being used in air strikes against the Houthis. Pakistan's information ministry has denied that report. In 2015, the Pakistani parliament voted against sending troops to help Riyadh in earlier fighting against Yemeni jihadists, according to ČT.