ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to the Gulf state’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity and security” under the Makkah Defence Alliance.
The defence pact, of which Turkiye is also a part, was signed on August 7 and aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.
In a post on X, the premier condemned attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, noting that the attacks had resulted in civilian casualties.
He also commended the “vigilance and professionalism” of the Saudi armed forces and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen for intercepting ballistic missiles.
PM Shehbaz expressed “unwavering” solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
“In line with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, and recent decisions taken by its Strategic Political and Defence Committee, our commitment to the Kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security is resolute,” he said, adding that Pakistan fully supported Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defence.
He called on the Houthis to immediately cease attacks.
“We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia in the face of these threats.”
On Thursday, the Houthis claimed that they had struck the Saudi capital’s main international airport with a ballistic missile, in the latest attack on the kingdom claimed by the group.
The attacks came after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade on the kingdom and are targeting its ships in the Red Sea. Both sides have claimed strikes on each other as tensions remain high.
On Wednesday, Saudi authorities said three people were killed and 36 injured in attacks on two of the kingdom’s international airports, including in the capital, Riyadh, after Yemen’s Houthis claimed to have fired on both transport hubs.
For its part, a Saudi-led coalition that backs pro-government forces in Yemen said on X that it “destroyed the ballistic missile launch platform” used in the attack on Riyadh.
The Houthis, who control most of the country’s northwest, are battling for territory against the Saudi-backed forces after the civil war reignited in July and they captured swathes of coastal land.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government this week declared a major counter-offensive and said Houthi fighters were pushed out of strategic areas on the Red Sea and the port city of Mocha.
But the Houthis say they are holding their territory, and military sources from both sides contacted by AFP have not reported any major changes on the ground.
Against this backdrop, Pakistan has repeatedly expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
On October 5, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye agreed to the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in the kingdom during an emergency meeting of the Makkah Defence Alliance in Riyadh.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who was part of Pakistan’s delegation in the meeting, joined Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ via telephone the same day and was asked about a possible operational role by Pakistan and Turkiye, to which he said both Turkiye and Pakistan had a “presence in theatre”, but only Saudi troops were involved in combat operations.
On September 18, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan would go to “any extent” to defend the Gulf state, adding that Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security is “unconditional”.
Asif has also reaffirmed that Pakistan will “practically and diplomatically” stand by Saudi Arabia against Yemen’s Houthi rebels if the situation escalates. The defence minister said that Pakistan would fulfil all its obligations under the Makkah Defence Alliance in accordance with the terms of the agreement between the three countries.
At the same time, Pakistan has also asserted that the alliance is intended for collective deterrence and is defensive in nature.
