ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will go “to any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia against aggression, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said, reaffirming Islamabad’s unconditional commitment to the Kingdom’s security.
In an interview with Arab News, the military’s chief spokesperson said Pakistan fully stood with Saudi Arabia “both diplomatically and physically” and would continue to support the Kingdom amid escalating regional tensions.
“Our commitment to Saudi security is unconditional,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said, describing the relationship between the two countries as rooted in a deep, historical and enduring bond.
He said Pakistan’s commitment also extended to the protection of Makkah and Madinah, the two holiest cities in Islam.
“There should be no doubt on that,” he said, adding that Pakistan would continue to defend Saudi Arabia against any aggression.
The remarks came amid a series of drone and missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement on Saudi targets. Saudi authorities said debris from an intercepted drone killed one person and injured two others in Taif, while more than 80 people had been wounded in recent attacks.
The Saudi-led coalition also said it had intercepted a Houthi drone heading towards restricted airspace around Makkah. Drones originating from Iraq also damaged pumping stations on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, according to Arab News.
Pakistan’s latest assurance comes after the signing of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on August 7. The agreement provides that an armed attack against one of the three countries would be considered an attack against all.
The pact builds on the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025. However, the full operational provisions of the agreements have not been made public.
Lt Gen Chaudhry did not disclose whether Saudi Arabia had requested additional Pakistani troops, air-defence systems or direct participation in operations against the Houthis.
He also did not confirm or rule out whether Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent falls within the defence guarantees under the agreements.
Pakistan has also maintained a military presence in Saudi Arabia, with Arab News reporting that Islamabad deployed around 8,000 troops, JF-17 fighter jets, drones and an HQ-9 air-defence system to the Kingdom in May.
At the same time, Islamabad has been pursuing diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing the wider Middle East conflict from escalating further.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said Pakistan remained in contact with regional countries and was working towards “a negotiated and peaceful outcome” to the crisis.
He also described the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, reached after months of Pakistan-facilitated negotiations between Washington and Tehran, as a consensus document that provided a pathway towards resolving the ongoing regional crisis.
The DG ISPR’s remarks came a week after Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Islamabad would fulfil its commitments under the Makkah defence agreement but that no military action was then under discussion in response to the Houthi attacks.
