PM Shehbaz condemns Houthi attacks, vows to stand with Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday condemned what he called “repeated terrorist attacks” by Yemen’s Houthi militia on Saudi Arabia, urged the group to “immediately cease these attacks”, and said Pakistan’s commitment to the kingdom’s security under the Makkah defence pact was “resolute”.

“I strongly condemn the repeated terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the prime minister wrote on X. He pointed to the targeting of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, which he said had caused “loss of lives and injuries to civilians”.

‘Shoulder to shoulder’

The prime minister set out Pakistan’s position in clear terms:

• he commended the “vigilance and professionalism” of the Saudi armed forces and the Saudi-led coalition for intercepting several ballistic missiles
• he expressed Pakistan’s “unwavering solidarity with the leadership and people of our brotherly kingdom of Saudi Arabia”
• he said Pakistan fully supports Saudi Arabia’s “legitimate right to defend its people and protect its cities and vital infrastructure”

“In line with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, and recent decisions taken by its Strategic Political and Defence Committee, our commitment to the Kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security is resolute,” he wrote. “We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia in the face of these threats.”

Attacks on the kingdom

Saudi authorities said three people were killed and 36 injured, including a Pakistani national, in attacks on the Riyadh and Abha airports on October 6 and 7, The Express Tribune reported. One person was killed and eight wounded at King Khalid International Airport, and two were killed and 28 wounded at Abha.

The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two ballistic missiles fired towards Riyadh and another towards Khamis Mushait. Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki said the coalition had since struck more than 80 Houthi military sites in Yemen’s Saada, Hodeidah, Jawf and Marib governorates, and warned that the attacks “will not go unpunished”.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed a ballistic missile strike on Riyadh’s airport and warned workers at Saudi oil facilities and airlines in Saudi airspace about sites the group had declared targets.

The Makkah pact

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7. It treats an attack on any one of them as an attack on all three. On October 5, at an emergency meeting in Riyadh, the three agreed to move immediately to implement their collective defence commitments and to deploy agreed forces and capabilities rapidly in the kingdom.

Pakistan’s leadership has repeatedly stated its support:

• ISPR: Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said Pakistani troops are present in Saudi Arabia in “multiple capabilities”, and that Pakistan’s commitment to the kingdom’s security is “unconditional”.
• Defence Minister Khawaja Asif: said Pakistan and Turkiye have a “presence in theatre”, providing support including reconnaissance, while only Saudi troops are in combat.
• Defensive nature: Pakistan has stressed that the alliance is for collective deterrence and is defensive.

The trilateral pact builds on the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed in September 2025.

Why it matters

By linking the strikes on Saudi airports directly to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the committee’s recent decisions, the prime minister placed Pakistan’s response within the alliance’s collective defence commitments, as the kingdom seeks more support from its allies.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn, The Express Tribune and Geo News.