Haramain Defence Pakistan religious leaders pledge support for Saudi Arabia

Pakistan’s religious affairs minister and leaders of major religious parties have condemned an alleged Houthi drone attack near Makkah and pledged support for Saudi Arabia’s security and the protection of Islam’s two holiest sites.

The leaders spoke at an All Parties Conference on the Protection of Haramain Sharifain in Pakistan. The meeting came amid renewed Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and growing attention on Pakistan’s defence commitments to the Kingdom.

Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf told Arab News that Pakistan was prepared to fulfil its obligations under the defence agreement with Saudi Arabia.

“The Government of Pakistan has already made an agreement with the Kingdom … We are already prepared for this,” he said, adding that implementation of the agreement was already under way.

Saudi authorities said on Tuesday that their air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it entered the city’s restricted airspace. The Saudi-led coalition described the security of Makkah and other holy sites as a “red line”.

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The Houthis denied targeting Makkah or other religious sites.

Yousuf condemned the recent Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and said Pakistan and its people would support the Kingdom.

“Drone and missile attacks have been recently initiated [against the Kingdom] and we strongly condemn them,” he said.

He added that Pakistan would support Saudi Arabia in protecting the Haramain Sharifain, referring to the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Senator Abdul Karim, who hosted the conference, said participants had unanimously condemned the attacks. He called for a coordinated response involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.

The conference comes as the three countries continue to develop their Makkah Joint Defence Agreement. Signed on 7 August, the pact treats an armed attack against one member as an attack against all three and seeks to strengthen collective deterrence.

Pakistan has previously said it would honour the agreement but stressed that military action was not under discussion at that stage. The Foreign Office described the pact as a defensive alliance and said Islamabad would act when necessary.

Pakistan’s military has since adopted a stronger public position. ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told Arab News that Pakistan stood with Saudi Arabia “both diplomatically and physically” and would go “to any extent” to defend the Kingdom. He also said the commitment extended to protecting the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah.

The attempted drone attack near Makkah has triggered condemnation from several Muslim and regional organisations. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation said the attacks threatened civilians and violated the sanctity of Islamic holy sites.

Saudi Arabia has faced a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks in recent weeks. The attacks have targeted cities and energy infrastructure, while the Houthis have denied some Saudi claims about their intended targets.

The escalation has increased pressure on Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye to clarify how their new defence arrangement will operate if attacks against Saudi territory continue.