Pakistan confirms “substantial” military presence in Saudi Arabia but rules out crossing into Yemen to attack Houthis
Pakistan has a “substantial number” of military forces and resources in Saudi Arabia and will use them to defend the kingdom if necessary, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Friday. He stressed that Pakistani forces would not cross into Yemen to attack the Houthis, describing the Mecca defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye as a defensive alliance.
Khan said Pakistani forces have maintained a presence in Saudi Arabia since 1982 through training missions and logistical arrangements. Islamabad has separately rejected as “fake and fabricated” a New York Times report that Pakistani fighter jets were being used in strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, treats an attack on one member as an attack on all three. The alliance recently moved to activate its collective-defence provisions following escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi territory.
