Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday told Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman that Pakistan would continue its efforts for “defusing” regional tensions and expressed solidarity with the Gulf state in light of recent Houthi attacks.

The development comes amid renewed tensions in the region, with Yemen’s Houthi rebels launching attacks on oil installations in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, injuring 73 people. A day earlier, a crucial Saudi oil pipeline also came under attack by drones launched from Iraq.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in a phone call, the premier condemned the recent attacks on Saudi’s civilian and economic infrastructure.

PM Shehbaz also expressed alarm that the Houthi actions “threatened regional peace and security and could further disrupt the global economy and energy supplies”.

He told the Saudi crown prince that he, alongside Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, “would continue their efforts for defusing tensions and bringing peace in the region”.

“In this regard, the prime minister lauded the Saudi crown prince for his wise and sagacious leadership throughout the crisis,” the statement said.

The prime minister also conveyed regards to the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

For his part, the Saudi crown prince appreciated Pakistan’s support and its efforts for regional peace and stability, PMO said.

“The two leaders agreed to continue to remain in close contact, and looked forward to meeting each other at an early date,” the statement added.

In August, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye signed a defence pact, aiming to strengthen collective deterrence and empower its signatory states to treat an attack against one of them as an attack against all of them.

Earlier this week, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif cautioned that the agreement could become operational if there was a “spillover” of the conflict in Yemen into Saudi Arabia.

The FO, however, said on Thursday rejected speculation that Pakistan was considering joining Saudi Arabia in military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, saying the newly signed agreement was still being firmed up and should not yet be viewed in terms of its operationalisation.