Pakistan’s armed forces are committed to defending Saudi Arabia under any circumstances. The military’s chief spokesperson stated that Islamabad’s pledge regarding Riyadh’s security is “unconditional.” In an interview with Arab News on Thursday, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said that Pakistan stands firmly with Saudi Arabia—both diplomatically and physically. He made these remarks amidst attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militia on various Saudi cities. The spread of conflict in the Middle East has created a renewed threat to global oil supplies. Online outlet Geo News reported this development.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense authorities reported that a Yemeni national residing in the Kingdom was killed by falling debris after a drone was intercepted over the western city of Taif. This marks the first fatality announced by Riyadh following a series of Houthi attacks as the conflict intensified last week. Previously, Saudi authorities had stated that more than 80 people were injured in these attacks.
The ISPR Director General reiterated that Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia includes the protection of Mecca and Medina. “We are present there to safeguard the Haramain Sharifain (the Two Holy Mosques); there should be no doubt about this,” he said. He added that Pakistan would continue to defend Saudi Arabia against any form of aggression. Discussing the regional situation and Pakistan’s efforts to establish peace in the Middle East, the military spokesperson noted that Islamabad is in contact with regional nations to find a “peaceful solution through dialogue” to the conflict.
It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey recently signed the “Mecca Defense Pact,” also known as the Mecca Agreement. Under this pact, an attack on one member nation is considered an attack on all nations within the alliance.
