Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia 'totally unacceptable', says Dar

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia were “totally unacceptable”. He made the remarks while addressing a joint press conference alongside Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, who is currently on an official visit to Pakistan, following the eighth session of the Pakistan-Oman Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC). At the outset of the press conference, Dar said that the two sides would sign a protocol relating to the commission. He said that this reflected “a shared resolve to further strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest”. He said that the two sides would also sign an agreement for mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports. “Pakistan-Oman friendship remains strong and forward-looking,” he told media.

The two ministers would after the press conference sign “a number of bilateral agreements”, Dar said. He added that the two ministers had also agreed to hold a business-to-business investment forum in Pakistan. The ministers discussed the situation in Gulf as well, he said, adding that “Pakistan remained committed to contributing constructively to diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region”. Dar said that the two sides also exchanged views on recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. He said that he conveyed Pakistan’s condemnation of the attacks. “I underscored that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are totally unacceptable. My brother [Albusaidi] actually fully endorses this. Violations of international law pose a serious threat to regional peace and security,” he said. “I reaffirmed Pakistan’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and our unwavering commitment to the kingdom’s sovereignty,…