Pakistan’s position is a reassurance that the holy sites are not undefended and that Pakistan is prepared to support their protection, reflecting the importance attached to them by Muslims in Pakistan and worldwide.

It told the Muslim world that Pakistan is committed to the defence of the holy sites.

They should know that Pakistan will not let them harm the holy sites.

The recent remarks by Pakistan’s Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, have clarified Pakistan’s position regarding Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, particularly the reported drone attack directed toward Makkah. The attacks over the years have included missiles and drones targeting civilian areas, cities, airports, oil facilities, and economic infrastructure, while the incident involving Makkah generated exceptional anger and distress because of the city’s central religious significance as the location of the Kaaba and Masjid al-Haram and the direction of Muslim prayer. Pakistan views the protection of Makkah and Madinah, collectively the Haramain Sharifain, as a sacred responsibility, and the DG ISPR stated in an interview with an Arab television channel that Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia in defending the Haramain and will go to any extent to protect Saudi Arabia from aggression. He emphasized that the relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is an unbreakable historical bond involving their peoples, armed forces, and political leadership, rooted in shared faith, values, mutual respect, and decades of cooperation. Pakistan’s position is a reassurance that the holy sites are not undefended and that Pakistan is prepared to support their protection, reflecting the importance attached to them by Muslims in Pakistan and worldwide. The broader relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia extends back to Pakistan’s founding, with Saudi Arabia among the early countries to recognize Pakistan, and encompasses economic development, trade, education, culture, defence, military training, and the past deployment of Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia. The defence relationship is associated with mutual trust, regional stability, and protection of the holy sites, while Pakistan’s military capabilities, including its armed forces and nuclear capability, are giving it substantial capacity to deter aggression and support its allies.

The DG ISPR also addressed Pakistan’s obligations under the Mecca agreement involving Pakistan, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia, explaining that the precise modalities for implementing defence commitments are not disclosed publicly because military plans and security information must remain confidential and revealing them could allow an adversary to prepare countermeasures. He said that if one of the three parties were attacked, the response and course of action would be determined........

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