Islamabad, September 9, 2026: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that the trilateral Makkah Defence Alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye could become operational if the conflict in Yemen spills over into Saudi Arabia.
Speaking during a television talk show on Tuesday night, Asif said there was “no ambiguity” in the defence pact, under which aggression against one member would be treated as aggression against all.
“This is a joint defence pact. Unprovoked aggression or spillover of whatever is happening in Yemen into Saudi Arabia, definitely, the pact will become operational; there should be no doubt in this,” he said.
The minister was responding to a question about Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, which reportedly injured more than 70 people and set oil installations ablaze.
“We are bound by the terms and conditions of this pact and we will honour them in case there is a need,” Asif said, adding that Pakistan was committed to collective defence and would respond to aggression against a member state.
He said the agreement was not “aggressive in nature”, but made clear that if one member came under aggression, all three would respond.
“This is a trilateral pact, but even if it were bilateral, we would have responded,” he added.
Asif expressed hope that the situation would “come under control and die down”, while urging the Houthis to consider the implications of attempting to extend their internal conflict into Saudi Arabia.
The defence minister described the Houthis as non-state actors and said the Yemeni government had responded to their attacks. He also cautioned that the exploitation of a bilateral dispute by non-state actors could have serious consequences.
Discussing the broader regional situation, Asif said the defence pact could serve as a deterrent, stressing that the three countries did not necessarily need to respond to aggression with aggression but had established their respective strengths.
Recalling the conflict in Yemen, which began in 2014, Asif said Pakistan had helped Saudi Arabia at that time as well.
He said Pakistan and Saudi Arabia shared longstanding ties and that the “sanctity” of Saudi territory warranted Pakistani support during difficult times.
On the stalled US-Iran negotiations, Asif expressed hope that “all doors have not closed”, saying there was currently a stalemate but also “indirect engagement”.
He said Pakistan was walking a tightrope because of its “brotherly relations” with countries on both sides of the conflict, while expressing hope that peace would prevail in the region.
Asif also criticised Israel’s role in the regional conflict, saying Israel would want the conflict to continue and Gulf countries to be weakened. He said the financial burden of the war was being borne largely from outside and alleged that Israel was benefiting from the conflict.
He said Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as people in Lebanon, were paying the price for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pursuit of power.
However, Asif pointed to what he described as a “silver lining”, saying public opinion in Europe, North America, New Zealand and Latin America was changing and more people were opposing the influence of the Zionist lobby.
The Houthi attacks on Tuesday reportedly targeted several cities in southern Saudi Arabia, including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran. The group claimed to have fired dozens of ballistic missiles targeting Abha International Airport, King Khalid air base and facilities belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco.
Saudi Arabia responded with strikes on targets in Taiz and Marib provinces and the Jubah district east of Sanaa. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said Riyadh would take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the Houthi attacks and assured Saudi Arabia of Pakistan’s “unwavering solidarity”, saying the attacks threatened innocent lives as well as regional peace and security.
The Foreign Office also condemned the attacks as “reprehensible” and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
