Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan will stand by Saudi Arabia “practically and diplomatically” if the conflict with Yemen’s Houthi rebels escalates, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday, as renewed fighting raises questions over the role of the recently signed Pakistan-Saudi Arabia-Turkiye defense agreement.
Speaking on Geo News program Aaj Shezaib Khanzada Ke Saath, Asif said Pakistan would support the kingdom if the situation deteriorated further following Houthi attacks and the reported attempted drone attack near Makkah. “If the situation escalates, we will stand with Saudi Arabia, both practically and diplomatically,” he said.
Saudi Arabia’s-led coalition had accused the Houthis of targeting Makkah with a drone, while the group rejected the allegation as a “lie.” The incident has added to tensions between Riyadh and the Houthis amid renewed fighting in Yemen.
Commenting on the Pakistan-Turkiye-Saudi Arabia trilateral defense agreement, Asif said Pakistan remained bound by its obligations under the pact. He also said Pakistan’s commitment to protecting the holy sites went beyond any formal agreement.
“Even if there had been no such agreement, we are bound by an ‘eternal agreement’ to respond if the holy sites come under attack,” he said, adding that protecting Makkah and Madina was a religious duty.
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“There is no need to activate any agreement,” Asif said, while maintaining that Pakistan would fulfil its obligations under the trilateral pact according to its terms. The defense minister said there was “absolutely no ambiguity” regarding Pakistan’s commitment.
Asked about possible military or political engagement with the Houthis, Asif said he could not disclose details, arguing that strategies at this level were not meant to be made public. He said the trilateral agreement provides for collective action if the territorial integrity of one member comes under threat.
Asif also discussed the possibility of Iranian support for the Houthis, saying Tehran might avoid directly backing the group because Iran was already involved in another major conflict in the region. He said it would be a diplomatic error for Iran to open another front by supporting the Houthis and warned that expanding the conflict could lead to a wider regional confrontation.
The defense minister also offered his assessment of the broader US-Israeli war with Iran, saying he believed Israel’s calculations had not produced the results it had expected.
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He said that Israel had drawn the United States directly into the conflict and argued that a broader regional response would be necessary to contain the threat posed by Israel. These remarks represented Asif’s own assessment of the conflict.
