Pakistan condemns missile strike on Saudi Arabia, demands cessation of Houthi attacks

A Houthi projectile launched from Yemen landed in Samtah, a town in the southwestern Jazan region, killing two people and wounding seven. (SPA)
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Updated 26 December 2021
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Pakistan condemns missile strike on Saudi Arabia, demands cessation of Houthi attacks

  • Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia killed two people in the kingdom by firing a ballistic missile that targeted civilian population in Jazan
  • Pakistan reaffirmed its full support and solidarity with the kingdom against any threats to its security and territorial integrity

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday condemned a ballistic missile attack on Saudi Arabia that killed two people and injured seven others in the kingdom’s southwestern region on Friday.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, a Houthi projectile killed a Yemeni resident of the kingdom along with a Saudi national when it hit the town of Samtah in Jazan.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia has carried out several missile attacks against Saudi Arabia in the past, though the kingdom has thwarted many of these strikes to protect its population and strategic installations.




This photograph released by Saudi Press Agency on December 25, 2021 shows the site where a Houthi projectile landed and killed two people in Saudi Arabia's southern Jazan region. (SPA)

The recent incident in Jazan wounded six Saudi citizens along with a Bangladeshi national.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the launch of hostile projectiles by Houthis towards Samtah governorate in Jazan region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that resulted in casualties, injuries and damage to civilian infrastructure,” the country’s foreign office said in a statement.
It added that “such attacks not only violate international law but also threaten peace and security of the Kingdom … and the region.”
The Pakistani foreign ministry also called for immediate cessation of these attacks.
“Pakistan reaffirms its full support and solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against any threats to its security and territorial integrity,” the statement maintained.
Reacting to the development, the prime minister’s advisor on the Middle East Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi demanded the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Arab League to take notice of such attacks on the Muslim holy land.
“Such attacks are not just a cause of concern for Saudi Arabia but also for Muslims around the world,” he told Arab News. “We condemn them.”
A senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, denounced the incident and demanded an end to Houthi violence against the kingdom.
“We condemn the breach of Saudi territorial sovereignty and want an end to all types of violence against Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Zafar-ul-Haq noted the people of Pakistan had tremendous affection for the kingdom, adding that their country had always stood with the kingdom and would continue to do that.
Commenting on the missile strike in Jazan, Sehar Kamran of the Pakistan Peoples Party described it as a “terrorist act.”
“This continued aggression against Saudi Arabia by Houthis is a clear violation of international law and every peace-loving person would condemn such acts,” she told Arab News. “If the Houthis want peace in the region, they will have to stop such strikes. They are clearly committing terrorist acts.”


ADB, Pakistan sign over $300 million agreements to undertake climate resilience initiatives

Updated 30 December 2025
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ADB, Pakistan sign over $300 million agreements to undertake climate resilience initiatives

  • Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in weather patterns
  • The projects in Sindh and Punjab will restore nature-based coastal defenses and enhance agricultural productivity

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed more than $300 million agreements to undertake two major climate resilience initiatives, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Tuesday.

The projects include the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP), valued at Rs50.5 billion ($180.5 million), and the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project (PCRLCAMP), totaling Rs34.7 billion ($124 million).

Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses, while another 1,037 people were killed in floods this year.

The South Asian country is ramping up climate resilience efforts, with support from the ADB and World Bank, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable areas.

“Both sides expressed their commitment to effectively utilize the financing for successful and timely completion of the two initiatives,” the PID said in a statement.

The Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP) will promote integrated water resources and flood risk management, restore nature-based coastal defenses, and strengthen institutional and community capacity for strategic action planning, directly benefiting over 3.8 million people in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts, according to ADB.

The Punjab project will enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience across 30 districts, improving small farmers’ access to climate-smart machinery, introducing circular agriculture practices to reduce residue burning, establishing testing and training facilities, and empowering 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.

Earlier this month, the ADB also approved $381 million in financing for Pakistan’s Punjab province to modernize agriculture and strengthen education and health services, including concessional loans and grants for farm mechanization, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and nursing sector reforms.