Pakistan will go ‘to any extent’ to defend Saudi Arabia, vows ISPR DG
- Pakistan stands with Riyadh diplomatically, physically: ISPR DG.
- Commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security “unconditional”: ISPR DG.
- Islamabad working with regional states for Mideast peace: ISPR DG.
Pakistan’s armed forces have pledged to go “to any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia, with the military’s chief spokesperson saying Islamabad’s commitment to Riyadh’s security was “unconditional”.
“Pakistan fully stands with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, both diplomatically and physically,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in an interview with Arab News on Thursday.
His remarks come amid attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militia on Saudi cities, as the spreading Middle East war created new threats to global oil supplies.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence said a Yemeni living in Saudi Arabia had been killed by debris from a drone intercepted over the western city of Taif, the first death Riyadh has announced in repeated Houthi attacks since fighting escalated last week. It has previously said more than 80 people were wounded.
The ISPR chief reiterated that Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia extends to the protection of Makkah and Madinah, saying “we are present there to protect Haramain Sharifain”
“There should be no doubt on that,” he said, adding that Pakistan will continue to defend Saudi Arabia against any aggression.
Lt Gen Chaudhry maintained that Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security was “unconditional”, saying “it stems from an emotive, deep-rooted, historical and unbreakable bond” between the two states.
Discussing the regional situation and Pakistan’s efforts for peace in the Middle East, the military’s spokesperson said that Islamabad was in contact with regional states to seek “a negotiated and peaceful outcome” to the conflict.
Pakistan emerged as a key mediator in the Middle East conflict after the US and Israel launched coordinated attacks against Iran on February 28.
In response to the strikes, Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on US military bases in the Gulf and closed the Strait of Hormuz, while Hezbollah began attacking Israel.
Washington and Tehran signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in June after months of negotiations mediated and facilitated by Pakistan.
The ISPR chief said the Islamabad MoU was “a consensus document” that offered the only viable pathway out of the ongoing situation in the region.
