Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia under Makkah accord
Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and remains committed to the joint defence agreement, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said on Friday, condemning Houthi attacks on the kingdom.
The Foreign Office also rejected remarks by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said targeting civilians and infrastructure was unacceptable. He extended condolences to the families of those killed and said Pakistan shared their grief.
Khan said Pakistan stood with Saudi Arabia in protecting its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security. He said Islamabad remained firm in its commitment under the joint defence pact. He added that the conflict between Yemen and Saudi Arabia could be resolved only through dialogue and negotiations.
The Makkah pact is a trilateral arrangement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. It follows a bilateral Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement between Islamabad and Riyadh signed last year.
On September 8, the Foreign Office condemned Houthi attacks on civilian and economic targets in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, calling them a flagrant violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty.
On October 5, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the group’s continued attacks on civilians, economic infrastructure, major cities and Red Sea shipping lanes.
Oman ties
The spokesperson said Oman’s foreign minister visited Pakistan this week, and the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in various sectors.
The visit included the eighth session of the Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission.
Response to India
Responding to Rajnath Singh’s remarks, Khan said Pakistan rejected the statement and that India should learn from last year’s events. Singh had said on Thursday that any fresh terrorist attack from across the border would draw a stronger response than before.
Khan said Pakistan was fully prepared to defend its territorial sovereignty and integrity. He said any aggression would be met with full force and that Pakistan had the capability to respond decisively to any aggressor. He described the Indian minister’s remarks as a reflection of a “hegemonic mindset” and referred to the May 2025 conflict.
Illegal migration
On illegal migration to Europe, the spokesperson said Pakistan had taken significant steps that led to a 64 per cent decline.
The same figure was cited on Tuesday by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner described it as commendable during talks in Islamabad.
Governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Answering a question on the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the spokesperson said no country had criticised the move.
He said it was the government’s responsibility to take steps to maintain peace and security in the country, and that governor’s rule had been imposed strictly under the Constitution.
The federal government imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in the province on Sunday under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, after the president approved the federal cabinet’s recommendations.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government of Sohail Afridi was suspended, and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi now runs the province with an interim cabinet.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the Centre acted over a sharp rise in terrorism and concerns about the provincial government’s ability to maintain law and order.