ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said Pakistan will defend Saudi Arabia in any conflict, whether the threat comes from the Houthis or any other force.
“We are there to help Saudi Arabia in any conflict, whether it is coming from the Houthis or a country or any other outfit that threatens Saudi Arabia’s security. We will be there to defend them,” Asif said in a video clip from the interview published by Al Jazeera.
His remarks come amid fresh fighting between the Houthis and the Yemeni government that has dragged in Riyadh, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeting its ships in the Red Sea. Both sides have claimed strikes on each other as tensions remain high.
Against this backdrop, Pakistan, which has signed two defence agreements with Riyadh, has expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia. On Sept 18, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan would go to “any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia, adding that Islamabad’s commitment to the kingdom’s security was “unconditional”.
Asif had also earlier reaffirmed that Pakistan would “practically and diplomatically” stand by Saudi Arabia against Yemen’s Houthi rebels if the situation escalated.
Pakistan defend Saudi Arabia: ‘No doubt’ on Houthi aggression
In his latest remarks, Asif said “there is no absolutely no doubt in our mind that Houthis are committing aggression against Saudi Arabia”. He added that Pakistan was bound by an arrangement to defend Saudi Arabia.
“And when I say that we are bound by this arrangement to defend Saudi Arabia, that means that whatever means are available at our disposal, they will be available to Saudi Arabia also,” he said.
The use of “arrangement” was apparently a reference to one of the defence pacts Pakistan has signed with Riyadh. The first, the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, was signed in Sept 2025, under which the two countries pledged that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.
The two countries are also party to the Makkah Defence Alliance, which includes Turkiye. The pact was signed on Aug 7 and provides that an attack on one member state would be treated as an attack on all.
The military leadership of the three countries held a meeting last week in Riyadh. During the meeting, the military leaders expressed a shared determination to “immediately translate” their commitments under the Makkah Defence Alliance into effective military cooperation.
Pakistan defend Saudi Arabia: Asif on Houthis and Iran
In his Al Jazeera interview, Asif also said the Houthis were “enemies of Saudi Arabia, and any enemy of Saudi Arabia is an enemy of Pakistan. That should be very clear.”
“And Iranians are not accepting them (Houthis) as their proxy,” he added.
“Some of these proxies have become rogue. I don’t have to go into history, I can give you multiple examples of that. Some countries, A, B or C, they launch a proxy, and then the proxy has its own way of multiplying and then becoming a rogue sort of entity,” he said.
Pakistan defend Saudi Arabia: What did Khawaja Asif say?
The defence minister said Pakistan would be there to help Saudi Arabia in any conflict, whether the threat came from the Houthis, a country, or any other outfit. He said whatever means were available to Pakistan would also be available to Saudi Arabia under their defence arrangement.
Pakistan defend Saudi Arabia: What defence pacts exist?
Two pacts are in force. The Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement, signed in Sept 2025, treats an attack on either country as an attack on both. The Makkah Defence Alliance, signed on Aug 7 with Turkiye, extends the same one-for-all principle to its three members.
Why are tensions rising now?
Fighting has flared between the Houthis and the Yemeni government, dragging in Riyadh. The Houthis have declared a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeted its ships in the Red Sea, while both sides claim strikes on each other.
What did the military leadership say?
The ISPR chief said on Sept 18 that Pakistan would go to “any extent” to defend Saudi Arabia and called the commitment unconditional. The military leaders of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye also met in Riyadh last week to turn the Makkah Defence Alliance into practical cooperation.
