Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned in the strongest possible terms what he called a “dastardly and heinous attempted drone attack” on the Holy Site of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, after Saudi air defenses intercepted a drone allegedly launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
In a statement posted on X, the Prime Minister said the people of Pakistan are “saddened and perturbed” by the incident. No words, he said, could capture the depth of anguish felt across the country over what he termed a “reprehensible and unforgivable act.”
PM Sharif praised the Royal Saudi Armed Forces for their “extraordinary vigilance, courage, and professionalism” in neutralizing the threat before the drone could reach Makkah’s restricted airspace.
He called on all parties in the Yemen conflict to exercise maximum restraint and step back from further escalation, saying dialogue and diplomacy remain “the only sustainable path towards peace.”
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia, saying the country stands “unwaveringly, shoulder to shoulder” with the Kingdom in defense of its sovereignty and in protecting the sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar echoed these sentiments, calling the attack a violation of Saudi sovereignty that “gravely offends the religious sentiments of Muslims worldwide” and threatens regional peace and security.
The condemnation follows a warning Pakistan issued a day earlier at the United Nations. Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told an emergency Security Council meeting that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia had pushed the region to an “extremely dangerous juncture.” Ahmad said the attacks threatened regional peace and stability and carried serious consequences for the global economy. He affirmed Pakistan’s “complete solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and its right under the UN Charter to defend its territory, citizens, and national assets.
The attempt on Makkah marks a sharp escalation. Yemen’s conflict had stayed largely contained since a UN-brokered truce in 2022, but Houthi attacks on Saudi territory have intensified in recent weeks, culminating in Tuesday’s attempt to strike Islam’s holiest city
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