Shehbaz Sharif told Saudi leaders and citizens that Pakistan stands “shoulder to shoulder” with the kingdom in safeguarding its territory and the sanctity of Islam’s holiest sites, a statement delivered in a formal message marking the Saudi National Day on Wednesday.
The prime minister condemned the latest Houthi attacks aimed at Saudi Arabia, specifically referencing an attempted drone strike near the holy city of Mecca, and warned that any threat to the Haramain Sharifain reverberates across the global Muslim community.
Sharif praised Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s leadership, saying Saudi Arabia is moving toward greater prosperity, modernisation and innovation, and described the bilateral relationship as evolving into a stronger strategic partnership.
He pointed to the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed in September 2025, under which an attack on either Pakistan or Saudi Arabia would be treated as an act of aggression against both, and to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed on August 7, 2025, which also binds Turkey to the same collective defence principle.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari issued a separate congratulatory note, calling the two defence pacts “significant milestones” that could enhance regional peace, stability and security, and expressing confidence that cooperation between Islamabad and Riyadh will expand into other areas of mutual interest.
The agreements deepen a long‑standing partnership that already includes economic and religious ties, and they signal a coordinated response to regional threats such as the Houthi insurgency, potentially reshaping security calculations in the Gulf and South‑Asia.