Key facts
- Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia "to any extent" both diplomatically and physically.
- The pledge comes amid escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
- Pakistan's military spokesman Lieutenant-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry made the pledge in an interview with Arab News.
- Chaudhry stated that Pakistan's commitment extends to the protection of Islam's two holiest sites in Makkah and Madinah.
- Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi denied targeting Mecca, calling the accusation a "heinous lie".
Pakistan has vowed to defend its ally Saudi Arabia "to any extent" both diplomatically and physically, as the kingdom faces intensified attacks from Yemen's Houthi forces. Lieutenant-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Pakistan's military spokesman, stated that Islamabad stands with Riyadh for the security of the kingdom and Islam's two holiest sites in Makkah and Madinah.
Chaudhry's remarks, made in an interview with Arab News on Thursday, were more forceful than previous official statements. Last week, Pakistan's Foreign Office indicated that no military response was under discussion under the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, though it added that Pakistan would act "when time comes."
The pledge comes as Houthi forces have intensified their attacks on Saudi cities. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting a drone heading towards Mecca, an accusation that Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi denied, calling it a "heinous lie." Separately, drones originating from Iraq damaged three pumping stations on Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, temporarily halting the critical oil-export route.
Pakistan and Turkiye are signatories to the Mecca Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, which functions similarly to NATO's collective defense clause, requiring allies to assist if one is attacked. This pact builds upon a bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025. While Pakistan already has a military presence in Saudi Arabia, the full operational provisions of these agreements remain undisclosed.