Any attack on Saudi Arabia will trigger collective response: DG ISPR
Pakistan has warned that any attack on Saudi Arabia or other members of the Makkah Alliance will trigger a collective response, with the country ready to use all available means to deter aggression, the military’s spokesperson, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has said.
In an interview with Independent Arabia, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan was providing Saudi Arabia with the necessary military support and would continue to do so, stressing that the kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and the security of Islam’s holiest sites were non-negotiable.
He said operational secrecy prevented him from disclosing details of the support, adding that Islamabad would consider any formal request from Yemen’s internationally recognised government for military assistance and take an appropriate decision.
He said he did not know whether such a request had been received.
The ISPR chief also stressed the need to continue diplomatic engagement with Iran to ease tensions in the Middle East.
He said Pakistan and its regional partners were working to prevent the conflict from spreading to more countries and military confrontation from intensifying.
Asked whether Pakistan had directly warned Tehran following attacks on Saudi Arabia, Chaudhry neither confirmed nor denied any specific conversation.
He said, however, that Islamabad’s diplomatic engagement was focused on reducing tensions and resolving disputes through dialogue, adding that continued confrontation was in no country’s interest.
The ISPR SG said Pakistan’s political and military leadership had been engaging with Iran and other relevant regional parties for months to encourage restraint, reduce differences and resolve disputes through dialogue.
The remarks came as the Makkah Alliance, comprising Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye, faces its first practical test since its establishment in August following Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. The three countries have activated their collective deterrence commitments under the agreement.
The DG ISPR described the alliance’s progress as “exceptional”, citing the swift establishment of its secretariat and the formation of a political, strategic and defence committee comprising the three countries’ foreign and defence ministers and military chiefs.
He said the alliance was built on longstanding ties, mutual trust and respect, and a shared vision for security, stability and collective deterrence.
Dismissing criticism of the arrangement, he said its effectiveness would be judged by its results.
The military spokesperson stressed that Pakistan’s military cooperation with Saudi Arabia predated the alliance by decades and would continue.
He described the pact as purely defensive, with no offensive intentions, and said it was based on Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognises the right to self-defence.
“If any party wages war, directly or indirectly, against any of the three countries, the response will be collective,” the ISPR chief said, warning that if deterrence failed to achieve its objectives, the three countries would need to reinforce it using all available means.
He said the Houthi attacks targeting holy cities of Makkah and Madinah had provoked anger across Pakistan, from ordinary citizens and young people to the country’s political and military leadership.
“How can any sane person attack Saudi Arabia, threaten the holy sites or even give the impression that they intend to threaten them?” he said.
The ISPR DG said Pakistan’s position reflected its commitment to protecting Islamic holy sites and defending the security of alliance members.
He added that escalating military conflicts or widening their scope would not serve the interests of Muslim countries or their people.
However, he warned that if a negotiated settlement proved impossible and the situation developed into a military confrontation, the alliance’s collective deterrence mechanism would come into operation.
Addressing the Houthis and those supporting them, Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan was conveying a strong message through its armed forces, public statements and operational deployments about the seriousness of its defence commitments.
“We will take all necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia’s security, territorial integrity and the security of the Two Holy Mosques and other sacred places,” he said, adding that the message was directed at both those carrying out attacks and those backing them.