Allama Hisham Elahi Zaheer has said a large number of Pakistani youth would be prepared to go to the front lines to defend Saudi Arabia if the country needs their support.

In a statement shared on social media, Hisham Elahi said Pakistani youth would be ready to protect the sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques whenever required.

He made the comments amid ongoing tensions involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.

The statement represents Hisham Elahi’s own position and does not amount to an announcement that Pakistan is sending troops or volunteers to Saudi Arabia.

His remarks follow similar comments from Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Religious Harmony Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi.

As reported by ProPakistani, Ashrafi had said Pakistan stands firmly with Saudi Arabia and that the security of the Two Holy Mosques is a red line. He said the Pakistani government, armed forces, religious scholars and people support Saudi Arabia in protecting the holy sites.

Ashrafi had also called the Houthis terrorists and rejected the description of the conflict as a sectarian Sunni-Shia confrontation.

The comments from both religious figures come as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia maintain close defense ties. Pakistan has also signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, under which the two countries have committed to treating an attack on either country as an attack on both.

Hisham Elahi’s latest statement, however, specifically focuses on Pakistani youth being ready to defend the Two Holy Mosques if Saudi Arabia requires such support.