Pakistan warns Houthis that its defence alliance with Saudi Arabia and Turkey
At least 73 civilians were injured, according to the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen. Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif said the agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Makkah last month was defensive in nature and required the three countries to respond if any member came under unprovoked aggression. His comments came hours after Iran-aligned Houthi forces launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia, targeting cities as well as economic and energy infrastructure.
“There should be no ambiguity; there is no need for any clarity that this is a joint defence agreement,” Asif said in an interview with Geo TV. He added that Pakistan was “bound by the terms and conditions of this pact” and would honour its commitments to Saudi Arabia if required. But if there is any aggression against one member state, all three member states will respond,” he said. The minister said he was not aware of any contact between Islamabad and Riyadh following the latest Houthi attacks. Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif separately condemned the Houthi attacks, describing them as “cowardly” and saying they threatened civilian lives as well as regional peace and security. He said Pakistan stood in “unwavering” solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed support for the kingdom’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. The Saudi-led coalition said the attacks had temporarily disrupted operations at some targeted sites, while specialised teams worked to contain fires and secure the facilities. He also said the Mecca alliance could act as a deterrent without necessarily requiring a military response to every attack.
“This is not an aggressive agreement under which the three countries would, on their own initiative, attack another country. He also expressed hope that tensions would ease, while warning the Houthis against extending the Yemen conflict into Saudi Arabia. Riyadh also warned against continued attacks on civilians and commercial shipping.