ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister for Religious Affairs has issued a strong condemnation of Houthi attacks targeting civilian infrastructure and Umrah pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, asserting that Islamabad views any aggression against the Kingdom as an attack on Pakistan itself, in accordance with existing defense agreements.
Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf made these statements in an interview with Arab News following a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad. The event brought together prominent Pakistani parliamentarians and religious leaders to express their unwavering solidarity with the Kingdom.
The diplomatic response follows a series of strikes by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia targeting Saudi oil and civilian facilities. According to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation, a recent attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh resulted in the death of one Pakistani national and injuries to 11 others.
Yousaf emphasized that Pakistan considers the security and stability of Saudi Arabia to be inextricably linked to its own. “Any attacks launched against Saudi Arabia are considered attacks on Pakistan,” the minister stated. “No Muslim can tolerate assaults on the Haramain Sharifain (the Two Holy Mosques) and Hejaz-e-Muqaddas (Makkah and Madinah) intended to undermine the strength of the Muslim community.”
The minister highlighted that Pakistan is taking concrete steps to bolster Saudi security, specifically citing the recently signed Makkah defense pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, which aims to ensure collective security through coordinated defensive measures.
This follows the signing of a bilateral Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia last year, as well as the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement in August. These pacts establish that an armed attack on one signatory is treated as an attack on all.
Yousaf specifically denounced the targeting of Umrah pilgrims, describing the incidents as heart-wrenching. He noted that pilgrims travel to the holy sites for spiritual forgiveness and peace, posing no threat to anyone, and that such attacks are an affront to the faith.
He further noted that Pakistan’s political leadership, state institutions, and religious parties remain unified in their support of the Kingdom. “When the time comes, the people of Pakistan are fully prepared to sacrifice their lives and wealth to defend the sanctity of the Kingdom,” Yousaf added, voicing full support for all measures taken by the Saudi government to ensure peace and security.
During the press conference, other key figures echoed these sentiments. Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, secretary general of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan and a member of parliament, remarked that the government and the public are “on one page,” noting that Saudi Arabia serves as the center of religious devotion for Muslims worldwide.
Senator Dr. Hafiz Abdul Karim, patron of the Pak-Saudi Solidarity Council, reiterated that Makkah, Madinah, and the pilgrims visiting them are “red lines” for all Muslims, and that any attacks on them are strictly unacceptable.
Additionally, Shah Owais Noorani, head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan party, emphasized the bond of faith that unites the two nations despite their geographical distance. Noorani called for the expansion of the Makkah defense agreement into a broader joint Islamic defense bloc to ensure the long-term protection of the holy lands.
