Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia at the UN on Friday, saying any threat to Mecca or Medina would cross a red line. Riyadh says one attack targeted Mecca; the Houthis call the accusation a lie.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement last month; it says an attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all. The countries’ military chiefs met in Riyadh on Friday. Pakistan’s military said they discussed intelligence sharing and military coordination and pledged to turn the pact into effective cooperation. Islamabad and Ankara have not joined Riyadh’s fight with the Houthis.
It remains unclear whether Pakistan or Turkiye will support Riyadh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a Newsweek interview published Friday that support could include intelligence, logistics or ammunition, with more extensive military assistance possible depending on the scale of the threat.
