The Mecca pact may promise “one for all, all for one”, but Pakistan is not putting boots on the ground just yet.Islamabad on Sunday expressed “complete solidarity” with Saudi Arabia after a fresh wave of Houthi attacks on the kingdom, while warning that the strikes could threaten regional security and further disrupt global energy supplies.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed Pakistan’s support to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman during a phone call, according to the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office.The outreach came a day after Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its 1,200-km East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack launched from Iraq.The pipeline is an important alternative route for Saudi oil exports as it allows crude to reach the Red Sea without passing through the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been severely disrupted by the wider US-Iran conflict since February.“While expressing complete solidarity with the Saudi leadership as well as the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister stated that the recent Houthi actions threatened regional peace and security and could further disrupt the global economy and energy supplies,” the Pakistan PMO said.
Sharif vows to support peace efforts
Sharif condemned what he described as Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian and economic infrastructure, saying such strikes could further affect the global economy and energy supplies.He also said he, Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar would continue efforts to reduce tensions and restore peace in West Asia.The Saudi crown prince appreciated Islamabad’s efforts towards peace and stability in the region, according to the PMO statement. The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact and expressed hope of meeting soon.The latest Houthi attacks have added to concerns over the security of Saudi energy infrastructure and alternative oil export routes amid wider disruption to regional shipping.
Defence pact comes into focus
The developments have also revived attention on a mutual-defence pact signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7.Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries would effectively be regarded as an attack against all three, with the pact also providing for enhanced defence cooperation.Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif had said on Wednesday that there should be no ambiguity over the commitment under the arrangement. He said an unprovoked attack on a member, or the spillover of the conflict in Yemen into Saudi Arabia, could activate the pact’s collective-defence provisions.However, Pakistan’s foreign ministry later clarified that no military response under the agreement was currently being discussed.Foreign ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said, “There is no such thing under discussion right now … When time comes (we) will act under the agreement.”Pakistan also said there were no immediate plans to expand the Mecca defence alliance.
Houthi attacks and Red Sea escalation
The Houthi attacks have intensified as the Iran-backed Yemeni group has advanced along the Red Sea coast.According to news agency AP, the Houthis claimed further missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, while Saudi civil defence said a projectile fell in al-Tawwal governorate near the Yemen border, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and several other buildings.A Houthi military spokesperson, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, claimed that the group had targeted a military base in Saudi Arabia’s Najran region, although he provided no evidence or details on when the attack occurred.The escalation has also affected Yemen. The internationally recognised Yemeni government has vowed to regroup and fight back after the Houthis captured the port city of Mokha and other areas along the west coast.The International Organisation for Migration said more than 85,000 people had been displaced by the fighting since the beginning of the month, while more than 2,000 Yemenis had reached Djibouti after crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.The Houthi advance has heightened concerns over the security of the Bab el-Mandeb, a crucial shipping route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, at a time when the wider regional conflict has already disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.