Pakistan renews pledge to defend KSA

Pakistan will use "whatever means are available" to defend Saudi Arabia against Yemen-based Houthi aggressors, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said, reiterating that any enemy of Saudi Arabia is an enemy of Pakistan.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Rome, Asif declined to say whether Pakistani forces had already participated in airstrikes in Yemen, but said Pakistan's military capabilities would be available to Saudi Arabia under the new mutual defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.

"I'm not going into detail, but obviously when I say that we are bound by this arrangement to defend Saudi Arabia, that means whatever means are available at our disposal, they'll be available to Saudi Arabia also. I think that's a categoric statement," he said.

According to an Arab News report, Asif's remarks did not explicitly confirm Pakistani participation in any airstrikes, nor did he say whether Saudi Arabia, which has faced repeated Houthi attacks in recent weeks, had requested military assistance from Pakistan.

The Houthis had recently captured the strategic port city of Mokha and several Red Sea islands, extending their reach towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to the report. The waterway carries about 12% of global trade.

Describing the Houthis as aggressors, the defence minister said Pakistan's commitment to Saudi Arabia was unambiguous. "Any enemy of Saudi Arabia is enemy of Pakistan. That should be very clear," Asif said.

About the Makkah defence pact, the minister said the new alliance was still taking shape, with the three countries establishing a secretariat and developing its framework. Asif said that other countries had also expressed interest in joining the alliance, but there were currently no plans for its immediate expansion.