ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s commitment to defending Saudi Arabia and Islam’s holiest sites is “absolute,” the country’s military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said, warning that any threat to the Kingdom or the sacred places would provoke widespread anger across Pakistan.
In an interview with The Independent, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said public sentiment over attacks on Saudi Arabia and threats to the holy sites extended from ordinary citizens to the country’s political and military leadership.
“Our reaction in Pakistan, from the streets, from the young boy and girl, up to our political and military leadership, is one of anger,” he said.
“Why would anyone in his right mind attack or threaten Saudi Arabia and the holy places, or even give an impression of threatening the holy places?” he added.
He said that the message that Pakistan would like to give is already there through the political leadership, through the Field Marshal. These very communications have been very clear, and I would just like to reiterate that the message is that the Muslims need to unite.
“We don’t need to fight. There is no advantage to any country by vertically or horizontally escalating these conflicts. We need to stop attacking each other,” he maintained.
And that is what the political and military leadership of Pakistan has been trying to do since the start, because in the background, there is the greater Middle Eastern conflict that has been going on for months.
What Pakistan has been trying to say to all the parties is that it is in no one’s interest that this military conflict spreads. We need to come to a negotiated outcome. And if we are unable to come to a negotiated outcome and we turn into a military conflict, then this collective deterrence, this instrument of the collective deterrence of the Mecca Alliance, will definitely come into play, as it is coming into play.”
🇵🇰🇸🇦 Pakistan’s message is clear: Sacred places are a red line.
DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry says the entire Pakistani nation — from ordinary citizens and youth to the country’s political and military leadership strongly rejects any attack or threat against Saudi Arabia or the Holy Sites.
“Why would anyone in his right mind attack or threaten Saudi Arabia or the Holy Places?”
Pakistan stands firmly with Saudi Arabia. 🇵🇰🤝🇸🇦
— Strategic Warfare (@WarUpdatespp) October 18, 2026
The remarks underscore Islamabad’s clear position on Saudi Arabia’s security and the protection of Islam’s holy sites in Makkah and Madinah, as Pakistan deepens its defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Turkiye under a trilateral agreement signed in August 2026.
The DG ISPR’s comments come amid heightened regional security concerns and growing emphasis on collective defence among the three countries.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye Sign Defence Agreement
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026, committing to strengthen collective security, expand defence cooperation and improve deterrence against external aggression.
Under the agreement, an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against all three. The pact also provides for enhanced cooperation across defence-related fields.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office has described the agreement as defensive in nature and said it is not directed against any third country. Islamabad has maintained that the arrangement aims to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity while promoting regional peace and stability.
The trilateral pact builds on decades of military and strategic cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The two countries also signed a separate Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025, under which aggression against either country would be considered aggression against both.
