Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the country would defend Makkah and Madinah if the holy cities came under attack.
Speaking to a private television programme on Wednesday, Asif described the protection of the two holy cities as a religious obligation.
He said Pakistan would respond even without a formal defence agreement.
“If there wasn’t an agreement, if Saudi Arabia had been attacked, especially if the sacred cities of Makkah and Madinah were attacked, then we are bound by an eternal agreement,” Asif said.
He added that protecting the holy sites was a religious duty.
Asif also referred to the recently signed Makkah Defence Alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
The agreement provides for collective defence among the three countries. An attack on one member is treated as an attack on all three.
Asif said the agreement would apply if any member faced an attack.
He stressed that Pakistan would honour its commitments under the pact.
However, he declined to provide details about any possible joint military response to the recent escalation involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis.
“We can’t openly discuss any defence or military strategy,” he said.
Pakistan has recently condemned Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia. Islamabad has also called for restraint and a reduction in regional tensions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s security and the protection of Makkah and Madinah.
The Makkah Defence Alliance was signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye on August 7, 2026. Officials have described it as a defensive arrangement focused on collective deterrence and regional stability.
The latest statements come as Houthi attacks on Saudi territory have intensified, creating new pressure on the recently established defence arrangement.
