IRIA News

Pakistani parliamentarians urge diplomacy in Yemen conflict but decline combat role

ISLAMABAD (Pakistan)  — After five days of debate, Pakistan’s parliament adopted a soft resolution on Friday, calling for Pakistan to remain neutral in the Yemen conflict, sidestepping Saudi Arabia’s demand for a military contribution to the Saudi-led coalition that is currently fighting Houthi rebels. But it also urged the government to play a diplomatic role in defusing the crisis.

Saudi Arabia, a prized ally and generous donor to Pakistan, had called on Islamabad to provide warships, aircraft and even ground troops.

MPs shot the plan down on Friday, however, passing a resolution saying that “Pakistan should maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict”.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was present in the house at the time of vote, which followed a meeting he had with parliamentary leaders at his chamber in the parliament house and high-level contacts in recent days involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran.

The draft said that parliament “desires that Pakistan should maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict so as to be able to play a proactive diplomatic role to end the crisis”, while also urging “the Muslim Ummah and the international community to intensify their efforts to promote peace in Yemen”.

However, in line with the oft-repeated declaration in the past, it said parliament “expresses unequivocal support to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and affirms that in case of any violation of its territorial integrity or any threat to Harmain Sharifain, Pakistan will stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia and its people”.

Pakistan’s parliament also expressed serious concern on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Yemen and its implications on peace and stability in the region and supports all humanitarian initiative aimed at bringing relief to the people caught in the conflict. The Parliament also expressed desire that the government of Pakistan initiate steps to move the UN Security Council and the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference) to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Yemen.

After the parliament vote Friday, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, Ahmed Asiri, still held out hope the Pakistani government would choose to participate. But he said even if it didn’t, other coalition forces are as well trained as the Pakistanis. “Not joining on the ground, sea or sea level will not obstruct the coalition operations,” he told reporters.

A senior official in the United Arab Emirates — a member of the coalition — lashed out angrily at Pakistan, accusing it of choosing Iran over the Gulf nations at a time when they face an “existential confrontation” in the Yemen conflict.

Anwar Gargash, the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, said on his Twitter account that Pakistan should look out for its strategic relations with Gulf nations, pointing to the Gulf’s economic and investment help to the South Asian nation. “Contradictory and ambiguous positions in this existential matter will cost (Pakistan) dearly,” he wrote.

Pakistan is torn by the need to remain on good terms with both Iran and Saudi Arabia, a country held in particularly high esteem by Sharif after it sheltered him following the 1999 military coup that ousted him from power.

According to Pakistani officials, Saudi Arabia asked Pakistan to send troops to take part in the campaign as Pakistani troops have considerable experience fighting militants in mountainous terrain similar to Yemen’s.

However, Pakistan also has important ties with Iran, with which it shares a long border. Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, was on a two-day visit to Islamabad this week, meeting Pakistani officials, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, and agreeing that unity, integrity and harmony within the Muslim Ummah are important. Zarif also called for a cease-fire and negotiations on creating a broad-based government in Yemen.

Pakistani Army Chief General Raheel Sharif (R) talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during a meeting in Rawalpindi on April 8.

The situation in Yemen has grown increasingly dire, as fighting intensifies between the Houthis and forces loyal to the ousted pro-Western President Abd Rabbuh Mansur al-Hadi, who fled to Saudi Arabia late last month.

Saudi-led coalition, to which the U.S. is providing assistance, has been continuing airstrikes in Yemen against allegedly Iran-backed Houthi rebels on the ground. Saudi Arabia and its allies, including the United States, accuse Iran of arming the Houthis. The Gulf countries view the rebels’ power grab as a move by Iran to establish a stronghold.

On Friday, the U.N. and International Committee of the Red Cross succeeded in bringing in the first two plane loads of aid, delivering tons of medical and humanitarian supplies to the capital, Sanaa, to relieve hospitals overburdened by casualties.