Pakistan in 'complete solidarity' with Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks, Sharif dials crown prince Salman
Sharif condemned what he described as Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian and economic infrastructure.
Pakistan unequivocally stood in solidarity with Saudi Arabia in the wake of recent Houthi attacks on the kingdom, warning that the strikes jeopardize regional stability and global energy supplies. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended this support to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman via a phone conversation, as reported by Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office. The call took place the day after Saudi Arabia briefly suspended its 1,200-kilometer East-West oil pipeline in response to a drone attack launched from Iraq.
The pipeline, crucial for Saudi oil exports, circumvents the Strait of Hormuz, a region experiencing heightened tension due to the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran. A Houthi projectile targeting Saudi territory on Saturday injured two individuals and damaged several structures, including a mosque, amid a series of Houthi assaults on Saudi Arabia encompassing missile and drone strikes on cities and energy infrastructure.
Sharif denounced these Houthi actions against civilian and economic targets in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing that such strikes could exacerbate economic disruption and energy scarcity on a global scale.
Asserting complete solidarity with the Saudi leadership and its people, Sharif underscored that the recent Houthi activities pose a threat to regional peace and security, potentially further disrupting the global economy and energy supplies. The Pakistan Prime Minister's Office statement reiterated Sharif's commitment to ongoing efforts aimed at alleviating tensions and restoring peace in the Western Asia region, including a continued dialogue between Pakistan's Prime Minister, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.
The Saudi Crown Prince appreciated Pakistan's contributions towards regional peace and stability, and both leaders agreed to maintain close communication and expressed a mutual desire to convene in the near future. The attacks have reignited discussions surrounding a mutual-defence pact involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, signed on August 7.
This agreement stipulates that an attack on one nation would be perceived as an attack on all three parties. Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, reaffirmed the pact's collective-defence provisions, stating that any unprovoked attack on a member or the spillover of conflict from Yemen into Saudi Arabia could invoke the pact's provisions.
This sentiment followed a series of Houthi missile and drone assaults on Saudi Arabia, resulting in the injury of at least 73 civilians the previous week.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times - World News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
