Pakistan's military has expressed a strong assurance that the country will defend Saudi Arabia against attacks, and its top military spokesperson said Islamabad is prepared to go “to any extent” to protect the Kingdom.
The comments came in an interview with Arab News on 17 September, when Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said that Saudi Arabia faces several missile and drone attacks inspired by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
Chaudhry said Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia diplomatically and physically, especially making it clear that Pakistan is ready to provide physical support if needed. He also said there should be “no doubt” about Pakistan’s commitment to defending Saudi Arabia against aggression.
Pakistan believes that its commitment to Saudi security is unshakeable
The Pakistani military spokesperson has said Islamabad’s commitment to Saudi security is unconditional. He linked the position to the long-standing relationship between the two countries and said it had been very much interlinked, not only in terms of their populations but also in terms of their armed forces and political leadership.
Chaudhry also said Pakistan’s commitment includes protecting Makkah and Madinah, Islam’s two holiest cities. His comments come after Saudi authorities reported an attempted Houthi drone attack near Makkah and continued attacks on Saudi territory.
The remarks are a stronger formulation than some of Pakistan's previous public statements about the country's obligations under its new defence arrangements with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye.
Houthi Missile and Drone Attacks Raise Regional Tensions
The Pakistani assurance comes as Houthi attacks have intensified pressure on Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities have reported missile and drone attacks targeting parts of the Kingdom, and debris from an intercepted drone in Taif killed one person and injured two others on September 17.
In addition to that, Saudi Arabia said a Houthi drone was intercepted while approaching restricted areas around Makkah. The Houthis denied responsibility for that incident.
The recent attacks have also raised questions about Saudi Arabia’s air-defence capabilities. Riyadh has sought assistance from Pakistan, Britain, France, and Egypt as the Kingdom faces pressure on its stocks of missile interceptors, the Associated Press reported.
What does the Pakistan-Saudi Defence Agreement say?
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August 2026. It gives a collective-defence framework under which an armed attack against one of the participating countries is considered an attack against all three.
The agreement builds on a separate Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in September 2025. But the full operational provisions of such agreements have not been made public, with questions on what kind of military response would be required in a particular situation.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had previously said the pact could become operational if aggression against Saudi Arabia continued. Pakistan has also stressed through diplomatic efforts to keep the wider Middle East conflict from spiraling into a war and from spreading to the rest of the world.
Pakistan balances Defence commitment with diplomacy
While Pakistan’s military has given a strong assurance to Saudi Arabia, Islamabad is pursuing diplomatic channels with regional countries.
Pakistan wants to promote a negotiated settlement and has been talking to Iranian officials about the situation in the region. Asim Munir, the Army Chief of Pakistan, also spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the phone, according to Arab News, and said he had had a conversation with him.
Chaudhry did not disclose whether Saudi Arabia has formally requested additional Pakistani troops, aircraft, or air-defence systems. He also did not clarify whether Pakistan's nuclear deterrent would fall under the defence guarantees.
Pakistan already has a military presence in Saudi Arabia, and Reuters has reported that Islamabad deployed troops and military equipment to the Kingdom earlier this year.
A Pakistani military response is unclear for now. The recent message, however, indicates that Pakistan considers the security of Saudi Arabia a very important bilateral and strategic commitment as Houthi attacks continue to test the region’s defence arrangements.
