Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 05:02am on 14 Sep 2026,Monday International
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday, reiterating Islamabad’s strong condemnation of recent Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s civilian and economic infrastructure. The outreach came as Pakistan appeared to step back from its military posture against the Iran-backed group, prompting an apparent diplomatic damage-control effort. Islamabad sought to reassure Riyadh of its commitment to the defence pact while clarifying that the Mecca defence agreement does not automatically require Pakistani forces to launch offensive operations against the Houthis. The clarification appeared to temper Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s earlier suggestion that the pact could be activated if Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia continued, highlighting Pakistan’s effort to balance its commitments.
