Sheikh Shahbaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, condemned the unsuccessful airstrike on the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and called for dialogue between the parties.
Strong condemnation from the Prime Minister of Pakistan
In a message posted on social media, Sheikh Shahbaz Sharif said: "I strongly condemn this heinous and barbaric act of the airstrike on the holy Mecca." He added that such actions only exacerbate tensions in the region.
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The Saudi air defense network announced that the country's air forces successfully destroyed a drone that was launched towards Mecca by the Houthi group from Yemen. This incident occurred at 6:50 PM local time on Tuesday, and the debris of the drone fell in the south of Mecca.
Need for diplomacy and dialogue
The Prime Minister of Pakistan also emphasized the necessity of maximum caution from all parties and said: "I urge all parties to retreat from the brink of further escalation. Our region has suffered greatly from conflicts, and dialogue and diplomacy are the only sustainable paths to peace."
Sheikh Shahbaz Sharif also expressed gratitude to the Saudi Armed Forces for their "extraordinary vigilance, courage, and professionalism" and praised their swift and heroic action. He added: "Pakistan firmly stands with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity; also, the security and sanctity of the two holy cities (Mecca and Medina) is a responsibility that every Pakistani takes pride in."
Last year, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on joint defense, and recently in August, a trilateral agreement for the defense of Mecca was signed with Turkey.
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