Pakistan warns Makkah defence pact could be activated after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

Under the agreement, an armed attack against one member is to be treated as an attack against all three. Speaking to Pakistani broadcaster Geo News on Tuesday, Asif warned the Houthis against using the wider confrontation between the United States and Iran as an opportunity to pull Saudi Arabia into the conflict.

The group would be acting “at its own peril” if it allowed the conflict in Yemen to spill over into Saudi Arabia, he said. “Unprovoked aggression or spillover of whatever is happening in Yemen into Saudi Arabia will definitely make this agreement operational,” Asif said.

“No one should have any doubt in this. 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 large parts of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, launched drones and missiles toward the Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran on Tuesday.

The attacks injured 73 civilians, including women and children, and struck energy facilities,. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Foreign Office condemned the attacks, saying they violated Saudi sovereignty and reaffirming the Kingdom’s 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 Islamabad’s position.

In an earlier statement, the Foreign Office condemned what it called the “reprehensible attacks” by the Houthi militia against civilian and economic targets in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.

“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,” the statement said. The latest statements underscore the growing security implications of the Makkah defense pact as tensions spread across the region.

For Islamabad, any direct Houthi aggression against Saudi territory could now carry consequences beyond the immediate Saudi-Yemeni confrontation, potentially activating Pakistan and Türkiye’s defense commitments to the Kingdom.