ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s United Nations envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad on Saturday condemned the recent Houthi rebel attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, describing them as a “grave threat” to regional peace and stability.

Ahmad, who has been appointed as the 34th Pakistani foreign secretary, was delivering his last statement as the country’s permanent representative to the UN at the Security Council’s briefing on Yemen.

His comments came amid increasing attacks by the Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia. These attacks included strikes on airports in Riyadh and Abha on Oct. 6 and 7 that reportedly killed three people and injured 36 others.

“Pakistan strongly condemns the Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including the outrageous targeting of infrastructure in the Makkah Governorate and on the Taibah power distribution station in Madinah tul Munawwarah,” Ahmad wrote on social media platform X.

“We call for an immediate end of such reckless attacks that constitute a grave threat to regional peace and security. The security and sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques must be respected at all times.”

Ahmad called for the protection of civilians in the fighting between the coalition forces in Yemen and the Houthis, noting that renewed fighting is causing deterioration of the humanitarian situation.

He demanded that food, fuel and essential commercial supplies reach all those in need.

“The Security Council must act with unity and purpose to halt Houthi attacks, safeguard regional security, alleviate suffering and restore a credible path toward a political settlement,” Ahmad said.

MAKKAH DEFENSE PACT

Separately, Pakistan’s UN envoy in Geneva, Tahir Andrabi, said on Friday that the Makkah Joint Defense Agreement (MJDA) is in harmony with the UN Charter and is defensive in nature, stressing that the pact aims to promote regional peace and stability.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye signed the trilateral defense pact in Makkah in August. The agreement stipulates that aggression against any one of the three nations will be considered an attack against all three.

Pakistan separately signed a bilateral defense pact with Saudi Arabia in September 2025. The two defense agreements have increasingly come under the spotlight amid intensified attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement against Saudi Arabia.

Speaking at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly’s First Committee on Friday, Andrabi reiterated Pakistan’s call for an immediate de-escalation in tensions in the Middle East between the US and Iran, restoration of normal passage for commercial shipping, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states in the region.

“Repeated aggression against sovereign states, and the failure to prevent it are deeply disturbing trends,” Andrabi said. “The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, defensive in character and consistent with the UN Charter, aims to promote collective efforts for peace, security and stability in the region and beyond.”

Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson said on Friday that Islamabad had deployed additional troops to Saudi Arabia under the bilateral defense pact signed between the two countries in September 2025.

Foreign office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said any further mobilization will be determined by a trilateral alliance with the Kingdom and Türkiye amid escalating regional tensions.