Demonstrations were held outside press clubs and in more than a dozen cities on Thursday, with the party announcing further protests after Friday prayers.
LAHORE:The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) held protests in several cities on Thursday against Houthi drone attacks targeting Makkah, expressing solidarity with Saudi Arabia and calling for the protection of the Haramain.
According to a statement issued by the party, hundreds of people attended demonstrations in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Bahawalpur, Sukkur and other cities.
Protesters raised slogans against the Houthis and in support of Saudi Arabia. Banners and placards carried messages including “What is our bond with Saudi Arabia? La Ilaha Illallah”, “Attack on the Kaaba is the worst form of terrorism” and “Protection of the Haramain is part of our faith”.
In Lahore, a demonstration was organised outside the Lahore Press Club. It was addressed by PMML President Khalid Masood Sindhu, Vice President Hafiz Talha Saeed, Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer, Chaudhry Hameed-ul-Hassan Gujjar, Engineer Adil Khaleeq and others.
The speakers said the Haramain were sacred to Muslims across the world and that protecting the holy places was a collective responsibility of the Muslim Ummah. They alleged that hostile forces were seeking to create divisions among Muslims and said continued attacks by the Houthis were a matter of concern.
In Sheikhupura, Sindhu, Hafiz Talha Saeed and other speakers said Makkah and Madina were centres of Muslim devotion and that the Muslim world was united in protecting their sanctity.
In Islamabad, Inam-ur-Rehman and others addressed a protest outside the National Press Club. A large number of citizens also attended a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club, where Ahmed Nadeem Awan and others spoke.
In Gujranwala, a protest was held at the Sheikhupura Mor bus stop under the PMML banner and was addressed by Markazi Kisan League Chairman Chaudhry Zulfiqar Olakh and others. The Muslim Women League organised a rally in Nankana Sahib, which the party said was attended by a large number of women.
Protests were also held in Sukkur and Mor Khanda, while demonstrations and rallies were reported from Faisalabad, Sialkot, Hyderabad, Hafizabad, Bahawalpur and Mian Channu.
The PMML said nationwide protests would also be held on Friday and urged religious scholars to make the protection of the Haramain a subject of their Friday sermons.
The protests follow Saudi Arabia’s announcement that its air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Makkah at around 6:50pm local time on Tuesday, before it entered the city’s restricted airspace. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki blamed the Houthis and described the security of the holy city as a red line.
The Houthis have denied responsibility. A senior member of the group’s Supreme Political Council, Hezam al-Asad, rejected the accusation that the group had targeted Makkah.
The incident came a day after the coalition said 13 civilians were injured in Houthi missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, amid a widening confrontation between Riyadh and the Iran-backed group.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attempted attack in the strongest terms on Wednesday while urging all sides to exercise maximum restraint. On Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told the weekly briefing that Pakistan stood with Saudi Arabia in protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement in September 2025.
The PMML fielded candidates across the country in the February 2024 general election. Its leadership has previously rejected reports describing the party as backed by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the father of its vice president, Hafiz Talha Saeed.
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