FO reiterates Pakistan's 'firm and unshakeable' commitment to Saudi Arabia's security after Riyadh attack

FO reiterates Pakistan's 'firm and unshakeable' commitment to Saudi Arabia's security after Riyadh attack.

Key points

• News Desk Published October 11, 2026 Updated October 11, 2026 10: 21am.
• On Oct 5, in an emergency session of the Makkah pact in Riyadh, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye agreed to the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities.
• Asif has additionally reaffirmed that Pakistan will "practically and diplomatically" stand by Saudi Arabia against Yemen's Houthi rebels if the situation escalates.
• Shortly before FO, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X, additionally condemned the attack.
• "Pakistan will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, resolute in its commitment to the kingdom's sovereignty, security and defence."

News Desk Published October 11, 2026 Updated October 11, 2026 10: 21am. Join our Whatsapp Channel.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday condemned a fresh wave of Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, reaffirming Pakistan's "firm and unshakeable" commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability of the Gulf state under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.

In practice, the defence pact, of which Turkiye is additionally a part, was signed on August 7 and seeks to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.

For context, the statement comes after Saturday's attack on Riyadh's international airport. It killed at least 12 residents and wounded 309 others.

In a post on X, FO remarked the targeting of a civilian airport constituted "a heinous act of terrorism, a flagrant violation of international law and a grave threat to regional peace and security".

It expressed concern over the casualties resulting from the attack, extending condolences to the bereaved families and wishing a swift recovery to the injured.

"The continued targeting of civilian population and critical infrastructure by the Houthi militia is utterly unacceptable and must be condemned unequivocally by the international community, " the statement read.

It continued: "Such brazen and indiscriminate acts of aggression cannot be justified under any circumstances and must cease immediately."

FO expressed "unwavering" solidarity with the leadership of Saudi Arabia and reiterated its "firm and unshakeable commitment" to Riyadh's sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability in line with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the "recent decision" taken by its Strategic, Political and Defence Committee on October 5, in which the member states had agreed to the rapid deployment of military forces and capabilities in the kingdom.

FO expressed backing for Saudi Arabia's right to self-defence against all threats and acts of aggression and went on to urge Yemen's Houthis to cease attacks and the international community to take "a firm and unequivocal stand" against it.

In his statement, the premier remarked that targeting civilian and critical infrastructure was completely unacceptable and a serious threat to regional peace and stability.

"Such acts of violence, which are a flagrant violation of international law, must cease immediately."

Expressing solidarity with Riyadh, PM Shehbaz remarked, "In accordance with the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the enduring bonds of brotherhood between our two countries, we reaffirm our steadfast commitment to Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and security."

For context, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has blamed the group for the strike on King Khalid International Airport, describing it as a "full-fledged war crime" that a diplomatic source attributed to a missile.

Though they did not announce any new attacks on Saturday, houthis have repeatedly targeted the facility, claiming a series of strikes on Thursday that killed three individuals and damaged a plane.

In practice, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi airports, oil facilities and tankers after a truce in their long-running war with Yemen's coalition administration unravelled in July. Against this backdrop, Pakistan has repeatedly expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif. This person was part of Pakistan's delegation in the session, joined Geo News programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath' via telephone the same day and was asked concerning a feasible operational role by Pakistan and Turkiye, to which he remarked both Turkiye and Pakistan had a "presence in theatre", but only Saudi troops were involved in combat operations.

On September 18, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry remarked Pakistan would go to "any extent" to defend the Gulf state, adding that Islamabad's commitment to the kingdom's security is "unconditional".

Asif has additionally reaffirmed that Pakistan will "practically and diplomatically" stand by Saudi Arabia against Yemen's Houthi rebels if the situation escalates. According to The defence minister, pakistan would fulfil all its obligations under the Makkah Defence Alliance in accordance with the terms of the agreement between the three countries.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has additionally asserted that the alliance is intended for collective deterrence and is defensive in nature.

For now, FO reiterates Pakistan' s ' firm and unshakeable' commitment to Saudi Arabia' s security after remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.