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 would be a "red line" during his address to the UN General Assembly on Friday. Saudi Arabia's air defenses shot down a Houthi drone near Makkah last week, which had entered restricted airspace over the city. Sharif asserted that any "threat to the safety and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain", Islam's two most sacred mosques, is "a red line that must never be crossed."
He emphasized that no Muslim could even contemplate committing such a "heinous crime." Last month, Pakistan signed a joint defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, aimed at the collective security of Riyadh, Ankara, and Islamabad. This agreement has not yet been fully ratified. Saudi Arabia has also declared the prohibition of aggression towards Makkah.
On Thursday, Saudi state media announced an imminent meeting of the chiefs of staff from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey to discuss support under the Makkah Defence Agreement. This pact stipulates that an attack on one party is considered an attack on all. The Houthi group has escalated attacks on Saudi Arabia amidst a broader Middle East crisis involving Iran-aligned armed factions.
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