Any attack on Makkah or Madinah is a ‘red line’, says Pakistan’s PM
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the UN General Assembly on Friday that any attack on the holy cities of Makkah or Madinah would represent a “red line”. Saudi Arabia’s air defences destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered prohibited airspace over the city last week. Mr Sharif said any “threat to the safety and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain”, the two most sacred…
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared that any assault on the holy cities of Makkah or Madinah constitutes a "red line" during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday. Saudi Arabia's air defenses recently neutralized a Houthi drone south of Makkah, which had entered the city's restricted airspace.
Sharif emphasized that any threat to the "safety and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain", the two holiest mosques in Islam, "is a red line that must never be crossed". He stressed that "no Muslim can even dare to think of committing such a heinous crime". Earlier this month, Pakistan signed a joint defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, a deal yet to be fully ratified, committing to the collective security of Riyadh, Ankara, and Islamabad.
Saudi Arabia has also declared Makkah off-limits to any aggression. On Thursday, Saudi state media announced that a meeting is being convened for the chiefs of staff of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey to explore support under the Makkah Defence Agreement. This pact stipulates that an attack on one party is considered an attack on all three nations.
The Houthi group has escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia as part of a broader conflict involving Iran-aligned armed groups in the Middle East.
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