LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s leadership has strongly condemned an attempted drone attack on the holy city of Makkah and reaffirmed the country’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz described the incident as deeply distressing for Muslims everywhere, and the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) announced nationwide protests for Friday.
The condemnation followed an announcement by the Saudi-led coalition that the kingdom’s air defences had destroyed a drone before it could reach the city that is home to Islam’s holiest site.
The coalition said the drone was intercepted at about 6:50 pm local time on Tuesday, south of Makkah, before it entered the city’s prohibited airspace. Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki said the security of the holy city was a red line and blamed Yemen’s Houthi group for the launch.
The coalition described it as the second Houthi attempt to target Makkah, after a ballistic missile was intercepted in 2017. The Houthis have denied responsibility, with a member of the group’s political bureau calling the accusation false.
The incident comes amid a sharp escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi territory. On Monday, 13 civilians were injured in missile and drone strikes on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, according to the coalition. Saudi Arabia also temporarily shut its East-West oil pipeline on Friday after it was targeted in several drone attacks.
The Houthis have also seized positions along Yemen’s Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab strait, raising concerns about shipping and energy exports at a time when traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is already disrupted. The Lahore Times recently reported on PMML leaders urging Muslim unity to protect Saudi Arabia after the Houthi attacks.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attempted attack in a statement on X, calling it dastardly and heinous. He said the people of Pakistan were deeply saddened and disturbed by the incident, and saluted the Royal Saudi Armed Forces for their swift response.
The prime minister said Pakistan stands firmly with Saudi Arabia in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity and the security and sanctity of the Haramain Sharifain, which he described as a duty every Pakistani holds close to heart. He also urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and step back from further escalation, noting that the region had already suffered enough from conflict. “Dialogue and diplomacy remain the only sustainable path towards peace,” he said.
On September 13, the prime minister had spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and reiterated Pakistan’s condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian and economic infrastructure.
In a separate statement, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz strongly condemned the attack. She said the pain caused by an attack on a place as sacred as Makkah was unbearable for Muslims across the world.
“Makkah holds a place of profound love and reverence in the hearts of every Muslim,” she said, expressing deep sorrow over the incident.
The PMML announced a nationwide protest on Friday against what it called a terrorist attack by Houthi rebels targeting Makkah. Conferences, seminars and protest rallies will be held in different cities, and religious scholars will highlight the sanctity of the holy sites in their Friday sermons.
PMML spokesperson Dr Muzamil Iqbal Hashmi said Makkah and Madinah are centres of love and devotion for Muslims worldwide, and that the Muslim Ummah is united on the sanctity of the two holy mosques. The reported attempt had deeply hurt Muslim sentiment, he said, and there could be no compromise on the sanctity of the holy sites. He urged Muslim countries to express open solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia called the attempt a cowardly terrorist attack, urged the international community to take a firm stance and reaffirmed its right to take all necessary measures to defend the two holy mosques and pilgrims. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and Qatar also condemned the incident and expressed solidarity with the kingdom.
Pakistan’s response reflects a relationship that goes well beyond diplomacy. Millions of Pakistanis travel to the holy cities for Hajj and Umrah, and a large Pakistani community lives and works in Saudi Arabia. The two countries signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025, formalising decades of close defence cooperation.
Islamabad has consistently paired firm support for the security of the Haramain with calls for restraint and dialogue, a position that has earned it a role as a voice for de-escalation in a turbulent region. As the conflict threatens Gulf shipping lanes that carry much of Pakistan’s fuel imports, the country’s stake in regional peace is also practical.
Leave a Reply