Pakistan will stand by Saudi Arabia “practically and diplomatically” if the conflict with Yemen’s Houthi rebels escalates, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, according to Dawn.
Speaking to Geo News on Wednesday, Asif said Pakistan was committed to its obligations under the trilateral Makkah Defence Alliance with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
“If the situation escalates, we will stand with Saudi Arabia, both practically and diplomatically,” Asif said.
His remarks came after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a Houthi drone allegedly heading towards Makkah. The Houthis rejected the claim as a “lie.”
Asif said Pakistan’s commitment to protecting the holy sites extended beyond the trilateral agreement, describing it as an “eternal agreement” to respond if Makkah or Madina came under attack.
“There is no need to activate any agreement,” he said, arguing that Muslims would have a religious duty to respond if the holy sites were threatened.
The defence minister also said Pakistan would fulfil all its obligations under the Makkah Defence Alliance, stressing that there was “absolutely no ambiguity” over the country’s commitments.
Asked whether Pakistan was engaged in any military or political discussions with the Houthis, Asif declined to disclose details, saying strategies at that level could not be made public.
He said the trilateral agreement would be activated if the territorial integrity of a member state came under threat, with the other two countries expected to act in fulfilment of their obligations.
Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the Makkah Defence Alliance had no “regional aspirations” and was intended for collective deterrence.
Speaking to Al Arabiya English, he described the pact as defensive and said it was not designed as an exclusive alliance for Muslim countries.
“It is defensive. There’s nothing aggressive. There are no regional aspirations. It is collective deterrence,” he said.
Chaudhry added that the alliance could potentially include other countries that share its principles of non-aggression, non-interference and collective deterrence, but said any decision on expansion would rest with the leaders of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
The three countries signed the joint defence pact in August, under which an armed attack against one member is to be treated as an attack against all three.
The alliance has come under its first major test amid renewed fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and the Houthis. The group has declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia and launched attacks on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, has also warned that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have brought the wider Middle East conflict to a “dangerous juncture”.
Asif also commented on the wider regional conflict, saying Israel’s calculations in its war with Iran had not produced the expected results. He said a broader confrontation with the Houthis could further widen the conflict and cautioned against Iran becoming directly involved on their side.