Pakistan May Consider Yemen Military Aid Request, DG ISPR Warns Makkah Pact Deterrence Could Activate

Pakistan could “evaluate” any request for direct military support from Yemen’s internationally recognised government, the military’s chief spokesperson has said, as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia continue to escalate, warning that the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement’s collective deterrence could come into play if negotiations fail.

Main News Report

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry made the remarks in an interview with Independent Arabia, aired on Sunday and reported on Monday.

Asked whether Yemen’s government had sought Pakistan’s support, Lt Gen Chaudhry said: “I think not in my knowledge that there has been any formal request. If there is any request, then that is for the government of Pakistan to evaluate that and respond to that.”

The ISPR chief warned that if negotiations fail and the Middle East slides into military confrontation, “this instrument of collective deterrence of the Makkah alliance will definitely come into play, as it is coming into play”.

On Pakistan’s backing for Saudi Arabia, which has come under repeated Houthi attacks in recent days, he was unequivocal:

• Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remain a foremost priority for Pakistan.
• The protection of Islam’s two holiest sites is “non-negotiable” and “absolute” as far as Pakistan is concerned.
• “Whatever support is needed to do that is being provided and will be provided,” he said, declining to disclose the scale or specific details of the support.

Background Context

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement (MJDA) was signed on August 7 during the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Summit for Joint Defence between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. Under the pact, an armed attack against any one of the three countries is regarded as an attack against all three.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said the agreement had advanced significantly in a short period and represented the “combined thinking” of the three countries, which shared a commitment to regional peace, stability and prosperity. He said the alliance’s General Secretariat and Strategic Political and Defence Committee were already established, with a manifestation “on the ground”.

The warning comes amid a sharp escalation in cross-border attacks between Houthi forces in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Recent days have seen Houthi media claim a Saudi strike killed nine people in Saada, while the Houthis claimed to have downed a Saudi Apache helicopter near the Yemen border — a crash that killed two pilots.

Reactions and Statements

• D G ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry: “We need to stop attacking each other,” calling on Muslim countries to unite rather than escalate. He said Pakistan’s political and military leadership had been conveying this message to the parties concerned since the US-Iran war began.
• On the pact’s scope: Asked whether the alliance was intended to counter specific countries, including Israel or Iran, he said it was not directed against any particular state. Any actor threatening regional peace, stability or security would automatically fall within the alliance’s collective deterrence mechanism.
• On international law: He cited Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, explaining that if the deterrent failed to prevent aggression, the three countries would have to restore it using all means available to them — while stressing the alliance had no offensive objectives.
• On expansion: He said the alliance was not restricted to the three countries and remained open to states committed to collective deterrence and regional stability, confirming that Egypt and Syria had expressed interest in joining the Makkah agreement.

Why This News Matters

This is the clearest public signal yet that Pakistan is prepared to back Saudi Arabia militarily under the Makkah pact if the Saudi-Houthi confrontation deepens. For a Pakistani audience, the stakes are direct: an attack on the kingdom, under the agreement, obliges a collective response from Islamabad.

The statement also frames Pakistan’s position as both a military backer of Riyadh and a diplomatic actor urging de-escalation — a dual posture consistent with the country’s earlier condemnation of the Houthi attacks and its outreach to Iran through Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Future Developments

• Whether Yemen’s internationally recognised government formally requests military support from Pakistan — and how the federal government responds.
• Whether diplomatic efforts can prevent further escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, or whether the MJDA’s collective deterrence is invoked.
• The next meeting of the Makkah alliance’s joint defence structures, and any movement on Egypt and Syria joining the pact.

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