ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: A high-level meeting was held in Islamabad on Monday to discuss matters pertaining to national security
and situation in the Middle East.
The meeting was presided over by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while it was attended by the Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, the Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry and the services chiefs.
Joint session of parliament contintues
Meanwhile, a joint session of the Parliament which resumed its proceedings at 5:00 pm contintues to discuss Pakistan’s role in the escalating conflict in Yemen.
Speaking on the floor of the House, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Aitzaz Ahsan asked the federal government to clarify stance on Yemen.
The PPP leader said that the government has kept the House in confusion over the conflict in Yemen and Pakistan’s response over it.
“It is not clear what is meant by ‘threat to Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity,” Aitzaz Ahsan said.
Aitzaz Ahsan said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should have tried to gather the Muslim Ummah over the issue. “We want to end war through diplomacy.”
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said in his address that it will not be wise to bring Pakistan-Iran relations in this issue. He said that it is good that consultations are being done and that Turkey has also been involved in it.
The JUI-F leader pushed for dialogue on the Yemen issue, and said that a large part of the Muslim world is in a state of war and Pakistan should play the role of a negotiator.
Earlier, the Federal Finance Minister Khawaja Asif said while giving a policy statement at the joint sitting of the Parliament that Pakistan wants peaceful solution of the Yemen crisis through political and diplomatic means.
The minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s pledge to defence Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty at all costs.
The defence minister apprised the Parliamentarians of the latest situation in Yemen besides Pakistan’s efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully.
