Munir overrules Pak PM, to deploy more military assets to Riyadh under Mecca pact
Pakistan's military chief Asim Munir has ordered the deployment of additional troops to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca defence pact, bypassing previous parliamentary opposition. This move highlights the military's growing dominance over Pakistan's constitutional and political landscape.
Why it matters
It signals a shift in regional security dynamics and underscores the consolidation of power by the Pakistani military over civilian government institutions.
Pakistan defence forces chief Asim Munir agreed to quickly deploy more Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia, despite the Pakistani Parliament voting to stay out of the Houthi conflict 11 years ago.The Mecca defence pact signed by Pakistan with Saudi Arabia and Turkey in August was invoked for the first time on Monday, amid increasing Houthi attacks on the Saudi kingdom.According to Reuters, the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is based on a 2025 Saudi-Pakistani pact under which Pakistan had sent about 8,000 troops to the kingdom by May.Pakistan's armed forces have often been accused of holding the reins of Islamabad’s politics.In 2025, Munir was elected as the field marshal, the chief of all defence forces in Pakistan.
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