ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has said that it stands in “unwavering solidarity” with Saudi Arabia after Houthi drone and missile attacks on Saudi civilian and energy facilities that injured over 70 people, with the Pakistani defense minister Khawaja Asif saying a three-nation defense pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye would become operational in the event of aggression against the Kingdom.
The comments come as yet another indication that Islamabad considers attacks by the Iran-backed Yemeni group capable of triggering obligations under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, signed by the three countries last month and stipulating that an armed attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all.
In an interview with a Pakistani news channel on Tuesday, Defense Minister Asif warned the Houthis not to exploit the broader United States-Iran confrontation to draw Saudi Arabia into the conflict, saying the group would be doing so “at its own peril.”
“Unprovoked aggression or spillover of whatever is happening in Yemen into Saudi Arabia will definitely make this agreement operational,” he told private broadcaster Geo News.
“No one should have any doubt in this,” the minister said. “We are bound by the terms and conditions of this pact. God willing, we will honor them in case there is a need.”
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, launched drones and missiles at the Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran on Tuesday, injuring 73 civilians, including women and children, and hitting energy facilities.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s foreign office condemned the attacks, saying they violated Saudi sovereignty and that the Kingdom had the right under international law to take necessary measures to defend itself.
“Pakistan stands in unwavering solidarity with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia,” Sharif said.
“Such dastardly attacks threaten innocent lives as well as regional peace and security. We reaffirm our steadfast support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and pray for the swift recovery of all those injured.”
Speaking to Arab News on Wednesday, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan reiterated the sentiment conveyed through an earlier statement and the prime minister’s tweet.
“Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the reprehensible attacks carried out by the Houthi militia against civilian and economic targets in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.
“Consistent with the UN Charter and international law, Pakistan fully supports the Kingdom’s legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend its territory, protect its citizens and residents and safeguard its national assets against any threat.”