Pakistan: Saudi Arabia's protection of the holy sites is a doctrinal duty

Islamabad-Riyadh-Agencies: Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the time has come to implement the Mecca Agreement, amid the Houthi militia’s escalation of aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that protecting the Kingdom constitutes a moral and doctrinal obligation that Islamabad is committed to, even in the absence of any formal agreement, and is not contingent upon the existence of the Mecca Agreement. See page 12. The minister revealed that Islamabad had conveyed a Saudi message to Tehran, reflecting growing concerns over the attacks carried out by Houthi forces. Regarding Iran’s stance on this escalation, the minister ruled out that Tehran, as a state, would support the Houthis in a manner that would open a new war front in the region. He added that Pakistan would continue its efforts to prevent the conflict from widening and spreading to additional fronts. On the ground, one person was killed and two others were injured yesterday after debris from a drone intercepted by Saudi forces, which had been launched by the Houthis, fell in the Taif province of Saudi Arabia, east of Mecca, as announced by the Saudi Civil Defense. The Civil Defense announced on the X platform that a Houthi drone was intercepted and destroyed, resulting in the death of a Yemeni national, injuries to a Saudi woman and a Pakistani national in critical condition, and material damage to several buildings and vehicles.