ISLAMABAD: Political rivals from Pakistan’s ruling and opposition parties united on Wednesday in condemning Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, setting aside their deep domestic differences to express solidarity with the Kingdom and reaffirm Islamabad’s commitment to its defense.

The rare show of political unity came amid escalating attacks on Saudi airports and energy infrastructure, including a strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday that killed a Pakistani national and injured 11 others, according to Saudi aviation authorities.

The violence has also brought Pakistan’s defense obligations into sharper focus, following a bilateral pact with Saudi Arabia last year and a trilateral agreement with Türkiye in August, under which an armed attack on any of the three countries is considered an attack on all.

Lawmakers from the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), speaking separately to Arab News, condemned the attacks and stressed the importance of Pakistan’s longstanding religious, political and security ties with the Kingdom.

“The government and the people of Pakistan have always kept Khadim Al-Haramayn Al-Sharifayn, and the people of Saudi Arabia, in particular esteem,” said Sher Afzal Marwat, an opposition lawmaker, referring to the Saudi King’s title of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

Marwat said decades of mutual trust and respect had underpinned Pakistan’s defense commitments to Saudi Arabia, describing the protection of Islam’s holy places as a privilege for Muslims.

He also condemned reports of a missile being fired toward Makkah, Islam’s holiest city, saying such attacks had hurt the religious sentiments of Pakistanis.

Marwat said Pakistan should stand alongside Saudi Arabia if the Kingdom had to confront the Houthis, describing attacks on pilgrims as “terrorism” and questioning how an armed group could target people of its own religion.

His remarks were echoed by Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of PTI, the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, who described Saudi Arabia as central to the Muslim world and particularly important to Pakistan.

“We will support Saudi Arabia and we will [protect] the Haramain Sharifain,” he said, referring to the two holy sanctuaries in Makkah and Madinah.

The statements reflected a shared position across Pakistan’s political divide at a time when relations between the government and PTI remain deeply strained, with the two sides locked in confrontation over domestic political and security issues.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also condemned the attacks, saying Pakistan’s ties with Saudi Arabia were built on a long history of mutual support and shared defense commitments.

“It is condemnable because Saudi Arabia is a brotherly country for Pakistan and we highly condemn this act of non-state actors of Yemen,” he said.

“For defense purposes, Pakistan always has a commitment to the people of Saudi Arabia that their defense is Pakistan’s responsibility,” Rashid added.

Pakistan’s government has repeatedly condemned attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed its commitment to the Kingdom’s sovereignty and security, while stressing the importance of diplomacy in preventing further regional escalation.

The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement, signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye on Aug. 7, strengthened their collective security arrangements. Islamabad has described the accord as defensive in nature and not directed against any country.

The renewed fighting in Yemen and Houthi strikes on Saudi civilian infrastructure have raised questions about the practical implications of these commitments as the regional conflict intensifies.

Senator Ali Zafar, PTI’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, similarly stressed that Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia transcended political differences, describing the Kingdom as a brotherly country with deep historical ties to Pakistan.

“We will not tolerate and we should not tolerate any attack on the holy sites or on any brother country,” he added. “So we condemn the [Houthi] attacks.”