Pakistan to stand by Saudi Arabia 'practically and diplomatically' if Yemen conflict escalates: Asif
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said Pakistan would “practically and diplomatically” stand by Saudi Arabia against Yemen’s Houthi rebels if the situation escalated. Earlier in the day, the Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen’s Houthis accused the rebels of targeting the holy city of Makkah, sparking outrage across the Muslim world and deepening the conflict roiling the region. However,…
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated on Wednesday that Pakistan would "practically and diplomatically" support Saudi Arabia if tensions between Yemen and the Saudi-led coalition escalated. Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition blamed the Houthis for attacking the holy city of Makkah, causing widespread outrage and exacerbating the already tense region.
The Houthis denied Riyadh's claim, calling it a "lie" and shooting down a drone threatening Makkah. Asif affirmed that Pakistan would back Saudi Arabia both in practical and diplomatic terms, regardless of whether an existing trilateral agreement, known as the Makkah Defence Alliance, existed. He emphasized that protecting the holy sites is a religious obligation and that Muslims worldwide do not need formal agreements to act.
Asif assured that Pakistan would abide by the terms of the agreement and could not disclose details of any military or political involvement with the Houthis. He also criticized Israel's involvement in the US-Israeli war on Iran, alleging that Israel manipulated America into the conflict. Lastly, he conveyed his belief that Iran would not likely aid the Houthis, as it was already engaged in another Middle Eastern conflict.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
