Up to 25,000 Pakistani troops could be deployed to Saudi Arabia, according to information passed by a security source to a broadcast outlet, a move tied to the armed confrontation involving Houthi forces in Yemen.

Trilateral defence ties linking Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — formalised under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement — form the backdrop for the proposed deployment, which comes as pressure from Houthi forces on Riyadh has been building. A source indicated that upwards of 15,000 troops from Pakistan are stationed in Saudi Arabia at present, with Islamabad moving to bolster the kingdom's defensive posture through the dispatch of further personnel and hardware.

A figure put the number of troops Pakistan might send to Saudi Arabia at up to 25,000, as the two nations work to strengthen their joint defence arrangements. Assistance of a military nature is anticipated to extend beyond the placement of troops alone. A single-source report indicates that Pakistan has been supplying Saudi Arabia with air defence systems, rockets, and drones as part of broader efforts to bolster the kingdom's military hardware.

These readiness measures are unfolding against a backdrop of Houthi strikes directed at Saudi Arabia. The official accusation from Saudi Arabia — that the group had targeted two of Islam's holiest sites — deepened pre-existing scrutiny over the country's defensive arrangements.

According to an insider who spoke with a broadcast outlet, the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement remains only partially in effect, even as participating nations have begun coordinating on shared commitments. On 7 August, a mutual-defence arrangement took shape among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, with all three governments committing that any armed assault directed at one of them would be treated as an assault on the group as a whole.

A gathering of military commanders from the three nations took place in Riyadh on 25 September, at which Houthi attacks drew a joint denunciation. A Friday statement from Pakistan's military indicated that its top commanders had voiced condemnation of the attacks on Saudi Arabia, along with a pledge of solidarity toward the kingdom and a stated commitment to protecting Islam's holiest sites.

Scheduled trilateral discussions among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — with Riyadh as the planned venue in the coming week — could move the defence pact closer to full operational status. No confirmation of a meeting date has yet been provided, according to a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Upwards of six nations have expressed an interest in joining the defence pact, according to Dar, though their identities were not disclosed. Admission of new members remains on hold until the arrangement is fully operational — a timeline he put at as long as twelve months.

On the agenda for the gathering in Riyadh is an Iranian-backed plan to open a political dialogue with the Houthis, put forward as a path that would sidestep the need for continued armed operations. According to Dar, Iran put forward a suggestion that a diplomatic path be explored in the wake of the Houthi attacks, with the matter set to be placed before a defence pact committee at the forthcoming emergency meeting.

Dar noted that no written proposal had come from Tehran, characterising the exchanges as an exploratory dialogue between the two countries' foreign ministers rather than a concrete offer on the table. He described the exchange as an exploratory conversation between the two foreign ministers, noting that the proposal would be taken up as a possible pathway in place of military action.

Iran's president Pezeshkian and foreign minister Araqchi both conveyed through Dar their desire to see the dispute brought to a resolution. Tehran was informed of the defence agreement and the commitment to uphold its terms, according to Dar.

Houthi operations in the region are placing the recently signed defence pact under strain, with Islamabad reported to be considering a substantial addition to its troop presence in Saudi Arabia even as a separate diplomatic channel works toward easing hostilities.