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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s envoy to Saudi Arabia on Saturday reaffirmed his country’s commitment to defending the Kingdom under a trilateral security pact, while urging millions of Pakistanis living there to remain calm and follow local authorities’ instructions amid continuing Houthi attacks.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia has launched a series of attacks on Saudi civilian and energy infrastructure, including Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, where one Pakistani was killed and six others injured, according to Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a bilateral defense pact in September last year, agreeing to treat aggression against either country as aggression against both. A subsequent agreement signed in Makkah in August 2026 brought Türkiye into a trilateral collective defense framework.
The three countries reaffirmed their commitment to defending Saudi Arabia and agreed on measures to ensure the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities to the Kingdom at an emergency meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee (SPDC) under the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement on October 5.
“Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and, in line with the recent decisions of the SPDC meeting of the Makkah Agreement, will provide the necessary support to defend the Kingdom,” Ambassador Ahmad Farooq told Arab News in a video interview from Riyadh.
Farooq strongly condemned the continuing Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including those targeting the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, as well as civilian and economic infrastructure.
“The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement embodies the shared commitment of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye to strengthen collective security and establish peace, security and stability in the region and beyond,” he added.
Alongside its defense commitments, Islamabad is also working to maintain diplomatic channels and seek negotiated settlements to regional conflicts, the ambassador said.
“Pakistan continues to play its role in bringing peace to the region through dialogue and a negotiated settlement,” Farooq said. “The leadership of Pakistan is committed to this objective and remains actively engaged in this effort.”
The ambassador also highlighted the importance of the more than 2.5 million Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia, one of Pakistan’s largest sources of remittances.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosts the largest Pakistani diaspora in the world, whose members are playing an active role in the Kingdom’s development and are also a vital source of remittances for Pakistan,” Farooq said.
Turning to the security situation, Farooq addressed the concerns of Pakistani nationals living in the Kingdom amid the continuing attacks.
“My message to the community in these testing times is that they should remain calm and abide by the instructions of the local authorities,” he said.
“The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh and our Consulate General in Jeddah are working round the clock to provide support to our citizens, especially those who have been affected by the ongoing crisis,” he said.
Farooq said all six Pakistanis injured in the Riyadh attack had been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment.
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