Islamabad: Pakistanis await a clear stance of their government on the issue of sending troops to Saudi Arabia, as a defence delegation landed in the kingdom to assess its requirements amid the escalating Yemen conflict.
Unit now, what the government has publicly stated a number of times is that it would do whatever it can militarily to defend Saudi Arabia against any threat to its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
As a result the ‘will we, won’t we’ speculation on the question of troops dispatch continues.
Alongside, an intense debate rages in the local media on whether Pakistan should take part in current aerial pounding of Yemeni rebels by the Saudi-led 10-nation coalition or a looming cross-border land invasion.
“It is time for the Pakistani government to publicly and clearly set out what it is and is not willing to do in Yemen on behalf of Saudi Arabia and on what terms and for which reasons,” commented prestigious independent daily ‘Dawn’ in an editorial.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has chaired two high-level meetings on the Middle East situation since the Saudi-headed coalition last week started air strikes on Houthi rebels.
A government statement after the first meeting had said: “Any threat to Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would evoke a strong response from Pakistan.”
After the second meeting on Monday on the eve of the departure of the delegation to Saudi Arabia, a PM House statement indicated a move was in the offing for collective diplomatic efforts by the Muslim world to find a solution.
The statement said: “To facilitate early resolution of the crisis and to promote peace and unity of the Muslim Ummah the prime minister will be contacting the leadership of the brotherly countries.”
“Pakistan calls upon the United Nations, OIC and the international community to play a constructive role in finding a political solution to the crisis,” it said.
Diplomatic push
Sources said Pakistani leadership was expected to seek a summit or foreign ministers meeting of the 57-nation Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference to find a way out.
Most political leaders have voiced opinion in favour of a course that prevents active involvement in the war inside Yemen and encourages diplomatic push to douse the flames and bring about political settlement.
They also underscored the need to counter attempts to fan misinformed notion that what is happening in Yemen is sectarian in nature, cautioning over repercussions for stability in the country.
Many want convening of a conference of all in and out-of- parliament political and religious parties to thoroughly mull issues. A special session of the parliament has also been proposed.
The delegation, which flew to Riyadh aboard a Pakistani air force plane, is led by Defense Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif and PM’s adviser Sartaj Aziz. It includes three senior armed forces officers.
Sources said a decision on providing troops to Saudi Arabia is likely to be announced after feedback by the delegation on return from Riyadh.
According to reports Iran has conveyed its concerns to Pakistan over the situation in Yemen and its desire to hold talks.
Economic considerations are certain to be at the centre when the country’s civil and military leadership sit down together to make up a decision.
“Pakistan cannot afford to alienate Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation States, with multi-million Pakistanis employed in the region from where the country also gets badly needed economic assistance,” a commentator pointed out.
Remittances home by overseas Pakistanis from GCC stares and other countries constitute a valuable source of precious foreign exchange to shore up the economy.
