



Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged his country’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia over the crises in the Middle East on Thursday, even as he explained domestic and other compulsions that kept Pakistan away from the Gulf coalition fighting the Houthi-led insurgency in Yemen.





The premier – who led a powerful delegation comprising army chief General Raheel Sharif, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and other senior officials – held a series of meetings in Riyadh with the Saudi leadership, particularly King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz and Saudi Arabia’s ministers of defence and interior.The Pakistani delegation also met Yemen’s President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi to assure him that Islamabad considered him the country’s legitimate head of state.A senior official familiar with behind-the-scene discussions in the Saudi capital told The Express Tribune that the resolution of Pakistan’s parliament was discussed during Premier Nawaz’s meeting with the Saudi king.Saudi Arabia, which had sought ground, air and naval support from Pakistan against the Houthis, was unhappy when Pakistan’s parliament voted against joining the Gulf intervention in Yemen. The unease in Riyadh and other Arab capitals prompted Prime Minister Nawaz to travel to Saudi Arabia along with Gen Raheel for ‘damage control’.According to the official, who asked to remain anonymous, Nawaz tried to remove confusion over the resolution of parliament. The Saudi king was informed that Pakistan’s parliament categorically stated that the government and people of Pakistan would stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia if its territorial integrity and sovereignty is violated.The prime minister also told the Saudi authorities that Pakistan has already started implementing the UN Security Council resolution that seeks arms embargo and travel ban on Houthi rebels.The Saudi authorities are still keen to gain Pakistani military support against Houthis, although they announced a halt in the month long air strikes in Yemen. Pakistan, on the other hand, is trying to find a middle ground in order to ensure a balance between accepting the Saudi demand and following parliament’s resolution.The official said the Saudi defence and interior ministers gave a detailed briefing to the Pakistani delegation about the possible threat the Kingdom might face due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen.The two sides discussed the possibility of deploying Pakistani troops within Saudi Arabia to protect its strategic installations as well as holy places in the event of any eventuality.The official said that while Prime Minister Nawaz affirmed the country’s commitment to Saudi Arabia, he also called for finding a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. According to him, the premier cautioned that any lingering dispute could endanger the unity among the Muslim world.The prime minister also informed the Saudi leadership that he took up the issue of Tehran’s involvement in the internal affairs of Yemen during his meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif, who recently travelled to Islamabad.Saudi Arabia has publicly accused Iran of backing the Houthi rebels, a charge Tehran strongly denies. The conflict in Yemen is seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. That is why Pakistan is treading a careful path and is avoiding becoming part of the military conflict.A statement issued by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman met with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Riyadh on Thursday and discussed the Saudi-led Arab campaign to restore stability in Yemen.The statement said the meeting was attended by Crown Prince Muqrin, Deputy Crown Prince and Interior Minister Mohammed bin Naif, Defence Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Prince Saud al Faisal. The SPA statement, however, did not provide details of the discussions.Published in The Express Tribune, April 24, 2015.