Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has described the Houthis as a terrorist group and said the ongoing conflict should not be viewed as a war between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

Addressing an international conference attended by religious scholars and leading Islamic authorities from different countries, Ashrafi said the Houthi movement had no connection with Islam.

He rejected the idea that the conflict represented a sectarian confrontation, saying, “This is not a war between Shia and Sunnis.”

Ashrafi also said the conflict was not a war between two countries. Instead, he described it as a confrontation involving what he called a terrorist faction seeking to attack innocent people.

He stressed Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia and said the security of the Kingdom and the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah was an absolute red line.

Ashrafi said Pakistan’s government, armed forces, religious scholars and people stood alongside Saudi Arabia and its leadership in facing challenges.

He specifically expressed support for Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying Pakistan would continue to stand with the Kingdom.

Speaking before scholars and religious authorities from around the world, Ashrafi urged the conflict not to be framed through the Sunni-Shia divide.

His remarks focused on separating the Houthi conflict from broader sectarian differences within the Muslim world and reaffirming Pakistan’s stated support for the security of Saudi Arabia.