Pakistan has ‘substantial’ forces deployed in Saudi Arabia, says foreign ministry
Pakistani military personnel stationed in Saudi Arabia would not cross the border to attack the Houthis but would act to defend Saudi territory.
Pakistan has a significant number of forces stationed in Saudi Arabia, according to the country's foreign ministry spokesman. This deployment is primarily defensive, aimed at protecting the kingdom from attacks, particularly those by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The spokesman, Sajjad Haider Khan, made these remarks on Friday, without confirming if the force levels have increased since Pakistan signed a defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey in August.
The pact obliges the three nations to support one another if any member is targeted. The Houthi conflict in Yemen has escalated, with the rebels launching missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, including a recent assault on Riyadh's international airport that claimed three lives. Pakistan's commitment to the trilateral alliance, headquartered in Riyadh, is not limited to this incident, as Pakistani troops have been deployed in Saudi Arabia periodically since the 1980s, including after the signing of a bilateral agreement between Islamabad and Riyadh in 2025.
The spokesman emphasized that the specific deployment details, such as how many forces and where they would be stationed, would be determined by the alliance.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 2 other outlets
- Pakistan has ‘substantial’ forces deployed in Saudi Arabia, says foreign ministry freemalaysiatoday.com
- Makkah defence pact aims to protect Saudi Arabia, says ISPR dailytimes.com.pk
