Pakistan vows to defend ally Saudi ‘to any extent’

Riyadh has accused the Houthis of carrying out a "cowardly" assault on Mecca, Islam's most sacred city. Pakistan's military spokesman stated that his nation is prepared to "go to any extent" to safeguard its ally Saudi Arabia, which has been facing rising aggression from Yemen's Houthi forces. The Houthi group has reported additional Saudi airstrikes this week, following an incident in which the kingdom blamed the group for an attack on the holy city of Mecca.

This incident sparked widespread condemnation from the global Muslim community. In an interview with Arab News, Pakistan's military spokesman, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, affirmed that his country would support Saudi Arabia both "diplomatically and physically." He emphasized that Pakistan will go to "any extent" to ensure the security of the two holy sites and the Saudi kingdom.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement last month, pledging mutual defense in the event of an attack on any of the three countries. This agreement was formed amidst the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, as well as attacks originating from Tehran-backed Houthi rebels. Chaudhry reiterated Pakistan's full support for Saudi Arabia, both diplomatically and physically, during an interview with Arab News on Thursday.