- Pakistan Deputy PM Ishaq Dar meets Saudi foreign minister in New York
- Both reaffirm commitment to strengthening cooperation under Makkah defense pact
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemned recent attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group against Saudi Arabia, the foreign office said on Tuesday, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to strengthening cooperation under the Makkah defense pact.
The Houthis have been attacking the Kingdom with missiles and drones this month after vowing to impose a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia earlier this year. The coalition supporting Yemen’s government said a ballistic missile targeting Riyadh was shot down on Saturday. Saudi forces last week intercepted a missile headed toward Makkah, prompting an angry response from Muslim countries around the world.
Various attacks launched by Houthis this month wounded over 80 in Saudi Arabia and disrupted the operations of a major oil pipeline. Pakistan has consistently condemned the attacks and has vowed to come to Saudi Arabia’s aid under a trilateral defense pact that both countries signed with Türkiye in August.
Dar, who is also Pakistan’s foreign minister, met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Pakistani foreign office said.
“DPM/FM expressed Pakistan’s steadfast solidarity with the Kingdom and condemned the recent attacks targeting Saudi Arabia,” the foreign office said.
It added that the two foreign ministers discussed matters pertaining to the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation under the pact and advancing regional peace, stability and security.
The Makkah defense pact stipulates that an attack on any of the three nations, Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, will be considered as an attack against all three.
Separately, Dar and Farhan also signed an agreement to abolish visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and official/special passports.
Dar hoped the move will further facilitate high-level engagement and institutional exchanges between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, and contribute to advancing their strategic partnership.
