FO reiterates Pakistan's 'firm and unshakeable' commitment to Saudi Arabia's security after Riyadh attack

The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday condemned a fresh wave of Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, reaffirming Pakistan’s “firm and unshakeable” commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability of the Gulf state under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

The defence pact, of which Turkiye is also a part, was signed on August 7 and aims to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.

The statement comes following Saturday’s attack on Riyadh’s international airport, which killed at least 12 people and wounded 309 others.

In a post on X, FO said the targeting of a civilian airport constituted “a heinous act of terrorism, a flagrant violation of international law and a grave threat to regional peace and security”.

It expressed concern over the casualties resulting from the attack, extending condolences to the bereaved families and wishing a swift recovery to the injured.

“The continued targeting of civilian population and critical infrastructure by the Houthi militia is utterly unacceptable and must be condemned unequivocally by the international community,” the statement read.

It added: “Such brazen and indiscriminate acts of aggression cannot be justified under any circumstances and must cease immediately.”

FO expressed “unwavering” solidarity with the leadership of Saudi Arabia and reiterated its “firm and unshakeable commitment” to Riyadh’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability in line with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the “recent decision” taken by its Strategic, Political and Defence Committee on October 5, in which the member states had agreed to the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in the kingdom.

The FO expressed support for Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defence against all threats and acts of aggression and went on to urge Yemen’s Houthis to cease attacks and the international community to take “a firm and unequivocal stand” against it.

“Pakistan will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, resolute in its commitment to the kingdom’s sovereignty, security and defence.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X, also condemned the attack.

In his statement, the premier said that targeting civilian and critical infrastructure was “completely unacceptable and [constitutes] a serious threat to regional peace and stability.

“Such acts of violence, which are a flagrant violation of international law, must cease immediately.”

Expressing solidarity with Riyadh, PM Shehbaz said, “In accordance with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the enduring bonds of brotherhood between our two countries, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed concern at what he called the Houthi attack on the Riyadh airport.

“We pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured, including the six Pakistani nationals,” he said.

“Attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure are totally unacceptable, violate international law and pose a serious threat to regional peace and security. Such acts must cease immediately,” he said.

“We are in touch with the Saudi Authorities and are closely following the situation. I have directed our embassy in Riyadh to coordinate with the concerned authorities to provide all possible assistance to the injured Pakistani nationals,” he said.

“We stand in solidarity with Saudi Arabia’s leadership and brotherly people. Pakistan remains firmly committed to the kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security in accordance with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement,” he said.

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has blamed the group for the strike on King Khalid International Airport, describing it as a “full-fledged war crime” that a diplomatic source attributed to a missile.

Houthis have repeatedly targeted the facility, claiming a series of strikes on Thursday that killed three people and damaged a plane, though they did not announce any new attacks on Saturday.

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers after a truce in their long-running war with Yemen’s coalition government unravelled in July. Against this backdrop, Pakistan has repeatedly expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

On Oct 5, in an emergency meeting of the Makkah pact in Riyadh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye agreed to the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who was part of Pakistan’s delegation in the meeting, joined Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ via telephone the same day and was asked about a possible operational role by Pakistan and Turkiye, to which he said both Turkiye and Pakistan had a “presence in theatre”, but only Saudi troops were involved in combat operations.

On September 18, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan would go to “any extent” to defend the Gulf state, adding that Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security is “unconditional”.

Asif has also reaffirmed that Pakistan will “practically and diplomatically” stand by Saudi Arabia against Yemen’s Houthi rebels if the situation escalates. The defence minister said that Pakistan would fulfil all its obligations under the Makkah Defence Alliance in accordance with the terms of the agreement between the three countries.

At the same time, Pakistan has also asserted that the alliance is intended for collective deterrence and is defensive in nature.

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