Pakistan has pledged to defend Saudi Arabia ‘to any extent’, with its military spokesperson saying Islamabad would support the kingdom “both diplomatically and physically” amid heightened tensions involving Yemen’s Houthi forces.In an interview with Arab News on Thursday, Pakistan’s military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Islamabad remained committed to Saudi Arabia’s security.“We will go to any extent for the security of (the two holy sanctuaries) and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.“Pakistan fully stands with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both diplomatically and physically,” Chaudhry told Arab News.His remarks came after Saudi Arabia reported intercepting a Houthi drone near Mecca earlier this week. Riyadh said the drone was destroyed south of the holy city before entering prohibited airspace.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, however, rejected the allegation that the group had targeted Islamic holy sites, saying its operations were directed at Saudi oil facilities and military bases.Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif had earlier said there was “absolutely no ambiguity” over Islamabad’s obligations under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye last month.Speaking to Geo News on Wednesday, Asif said, “Mecca Agreement applies to us, and we will fulfil our duty.”He said Pakistan’s responsibility to protect the Muslim holy sites existed independently of the agreement.“If Mecca is attacked, there is no need for an agreement to protect it,” Asif added.Asif said the agreement provides for collective defence if the territorial integrity or geographical boundaries of any of its three signatories are violated. He declined to disclose details of Pakistan’s potential military response, saying such matters would not be discussed publicly.Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif also reiterated Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia, saying Islamabad stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Riyadh. He condemned what he described as a “dastardly and heinous attempted drone attack” and called for restraint.The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement was signed on August 7, in Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif. The three-way pact was signed against a backdrop of wider regional tensions, including conflict involving the United States and Iran and attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces.
