Hafiz Ashrafi's Urgent Message Amid Saudi Arabia's Sensitive Situation: Sharing Houthi Attack Footage Forbidden

A sensitive security situation in Saudi Arabia prompted Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi to issue an urgent advisory to the Pakistani diaspora on Tuesday. The advisory, which spread rapidly through WhatsApp groups in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, instructs expatriates to comply with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior directives and refrain from sharing footage or images of Houthi drone and missile attacks, interception operations, debris, security installations, and sensitive locations. The backdrop is renewed Houthi drone and missile activity targeting Saudi Arabia, with interceptor operations visible in the night sky and debris falling in residential areas. Saudi cyber law treats the dissemination of such sensitive material as a punishable offence, carrying fines and imprisonment. Ashrafi emphasized "maximum responsibility and caution" given the "prevailing sensitive situation." The advisory carries strategic weight: religious authority communicates state directives effectively to a diaspora community of over 2.5 million Pakistani nationals, who form a vital part of Saudi Arabia's labour force. The message blends legal compliance with communal trust, urging expatriates to protect their livelihoods by avoiding legal entanglements. It also addresses the growing risk of misinformation on social media, where old footage and even video-game graphics can be mistaken for real incidents. This is not a restriction on freedom of expression but a call for collective security in conflict conditions. Until the security situation normalises, silence and caution remain the safest path. The advisory underscores that diaspora life demands self-discipline, loyalty to host-country laws, and responsibility to one's home country. Source: Official statement by Pakistan Ulema Council, Tuesday.