Pakistan confirms commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security — Dawn

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following an attack on Riyadh International Airport in Saudi Arabia, reaffirmed its “firm and unshakeable” commitment to the kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability. The ministry condemned the new wave of attacks and stated its support for Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defense.

As Dawn reports, at least 12 people were killed and another 309 injured in Saturday’s attack on Riyadh International Airport. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry described the strike on the civilian airport as a terrorist act, a flagrant violation of international law and a threat to regional peace and security.

Pakistan’s statement

In its statement, Pakistan’s foreign ministry expressed condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery. It also called on the international community to unequivocally condemn attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately condemned the attack, stating that strikes on civilian and critical infrastructure are unacceptable and pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the region.

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Mecca defense agreement

Pakistan linked its commitments to the Mecca defense agreement, to which Turkey is also a party. It was signed on August 7 to strengthen collective deterrence; the document provides that an attack on one participating state is considered an attack on all signatories.

The Saudi coalition in Yemen blamed the Houthis for the strike on King Khalid Airport and called it a war crime. According to a diplomatic source, the strike was carried out with a missile. The Houthis had claimed a series of strikes on the facility on Thursday, which, according to the publication, killed three people and damaged an aircraft, but they did not report a new attack on Saturday.

On October 5, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey agreed at an emergency meeting of the defense alliance in Riyadh on the rapid deployment of military forces and assets in the kingdom. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said at the time that Pakistani and Turkish forces had a presence in the region, but only Saudi military personnel had taken part in combat operations.