Dr. Maryam Fatima (IR Expert):Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in his interview with CNN has emphasized that Pakistan has shown commitment to security of Hurmain Shareefain with the security architecture of Makkah Agreement. Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in his interview with CNN  has also made it clear to the world and international community. Even Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has also strongly condemned the repeated terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia against Saudi Arabia. In this context Pakistan has committed its forces to stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia in the wake of any threat or challenge. DG ISPR also emphasized on collective defence i.e presence of Pakistani forces is to deter or repel any threat or aggression and this presence is not any manifestation of aggression or offensive against any country. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have decades old strategic and defence ties and Pakistani forces have acted on a number of occasions to safeguard Saudi Arabia in the past. Saudi cadets also get training from Pakistani military, air force and naval academies. In the background of prevailing regional situation, Pakistani military presence is for responding to any external threat to Saudi Arabia. I think that defence architecture under Makkah Agreement is for filling the security vacuum emerged from the US failure to provide security shield to Middle Eastern countries from Iranian strikes. Houthis have accelerated attacks on Saudi Arabia with the technical and military support of Israel and other countries therefore practical presence of Pakistani forces in Saudi Arabia is to neutralize Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Lt. General (R) Numan Mahmood is also very dedicated military leader and he is general secretary at Makkah Defence Secretariat and his presence in decision making matters a lot.  

 Dr. Huma Baqai (IR Expert):Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence defence and strategic ties go back to decades so these ties are not confined or limited to Makkah Agreement. Pakistan has always been in frontline to defend and protect Saudi sovereignty. So Pakistan is very much committed to Saudi Arabia. Moreover, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia can’t be seen separately from Iran-US war and Israeli aggression in Middle East. Historically speaking, Houthis are very dangerous non-state actors in West Asia with an estimated human strength of three hundred fifty thousand soldiers in 2024. United States has declared them as terrorists; even then, Houthis announced that US forces would not be attacked. So Saudi Arabia approached Beijing and Beijing asked Iran to rein Houthis attacks on Saudi Arabia. However, Iran supports Houthis but Iran does not control them. Therefore, I think that world must open diplomatic channels with Houthis instead of using military force against them to resolve this situation through give and take principle. It is essential because no one has been able to defeat Houthis decisively in last ten years. Therefore, we need to move forward with caution along with strategy based diplomacy, conversation, engagement and military options.