Pakistan Pledges Military Support to Defend Saudi Arabia — SkimNews
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- Pakistan's military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the country is providing "whatever support is needed" to protect Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the Two Holy Mosques, in an October 18, 2026 interview with Independent Arabia.
- The pledge falls under a joint defense pact Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye signed in August, under which an attack against any one country is treated as an attack against all three.
- Chaudhry invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter, warning that if collective deterrence fails, it "has to be re-established by all means that are available to the three countries" — while insisting the alliance has "no offensive intent" and is not aimed at any specific country.
- Pakistan is simultaneously engaging Iran — which backs the Houthis — to "dial down the escalation," with Chaudhry saying all interactions aim to reduce tensions.
- Saudi Arabia has established a multinational maritime defense coalition to protect navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz, with a Pakistani naval officer serving as its deputy commander.
- Egypt and Syria have reportedly shown interest in joining the three-member alliance, though Chaudhry said any expansion decision would rest with the political, strategic, and military leadership of current members.
Why it matters: Pakistan's public vow converts the August trilateral pact from paper to operational reality — 'substantial' Pakistani forces and resources are already in Saudi Arabia, and a Pakistani naval officer serves as deputy commander of Saudi Arabia's new maritime coalition — giving Riyadh a concrete military backstop at the same moment Egypt is also offering help, as the regional response to Houthi attacks consolidates into a formal Sunni-state deterrent architecture.
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