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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement on Sunday strongly condemning the Houthi militia attack on King Khalid International Airport. Sharif offered condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift recovery of all those injured in the strike. He stated that such actions against civilians and critical infrastructure must stop as they threaten regional peace.
In his post on X, Sharif said attacks targeting civilians and critical infrastructure are completely unacceptable and constitute a serious threat to regional peace and stability. “Such acts of violence, which are a flagrant violation of international law, must cease immediately,” the prime minister wrote. Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) added that Pakistan stands in unwavering solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
According to the Saudi civil aviation authority the assault killed 12 people and left 309 injured. The fatalities comprised four Saudi nationals, two Bangladeshis and single citizens from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt. The authority said the airport had to suspend all operations with arriving flights redirected elsewhere in the kingdom.
Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolute commitment to the kingdom’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement signed in August. The pact, which also includes Türkiye, treats an armed attack on one participant as an attack on all three according to statements from the Pakistani Foreign Office. Sharif noted the enduring brotherhood between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as a further pillar of their alliance.
The statement follows a pattern of Pakistani support for Saudi Arabia amid repeated Houthi actions this month. Earlier attacks on Riyadh and Abha airports caused additional deaths and injuries, Saudi authorities reported. Sharif had previously praised Saudi forces for intercepting missiles during those incidents.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office also denounced the latest strike, urging the international community to condemn violence against civilian infrastructure. The ministry echoed Sharif’s view that the acts represent a clear breach of international norms. Officials stressed the importance of protecting essential facilities in line with global law.
