Pakistan has once again made clear its strong support for Saudi Arabia under the Makkah alliance. During the weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan firmly rejected claims that Pakistani fighter jets had joined any cross-border strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen.
He explained that the Makkah alliance is a purely defensive arrangement. Its purpose is to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of member countries while building their collective deterrence. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye recently held an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Riyadh on October 5. The Pakistani side was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.
The committee reviewed the current security threats facing Saudi Arabia and strongly condemned attempts to target Makkah and Madinah as well as attacks on cities, civilians and economic sites. The three countries agreed to take practical steps that will improve military readiness, deepen integration and strengthen their joint ability to respond to any aggression.
Ambassador Khan stressed that Pakistani forces will not enter Yemen or launch attacks against the Houthis. They can, however, be used to defend Saudi territory and protect its sovereignty. Pakistan already maintains a significant number of troops and resources inside the Kingdom, a presence that has continued in different forms since 1982. Any further deployment will depend on operational needs decided by the alliance headquarters.
Pakistan remains deeply concerned about the rising tensions in the region because nearly 2.5 million Pakistanis live in Saudi Arabia. Their safety is a top priority. At the same time, Islamabad continues to push for dialogue and de-escalation. On the US-Iran front, Pakistan is still facilitating talks and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding remains active.
Separately, the spokesperson noted that a joint statement could not be issued at the Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan because the Afghan Taliban refused to keep previously agreed language on terrorism. Pakistan also repeated its position on Jammu and Kashmir and protested the killing of two Pakistani civilians by Indian forces.
