ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that no decision has been made to participate
in war in the Middle East.
In a policy statement in the National Assembly on Friday, he said that the government has only made a pledge to defend Saudi Arabia in case of any danger to its territorial integrity.
The defence minister said that Pakistan offered Saudi Arabia that a delegation comprising the Defence Minister and the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz as well as higher military officials will visit Saudi Arabia to assess their defence requirements.
However, he said that a meeting of the Arab League is going to be held today or tomorrow and we hoped that the issue will be resolved on a common platform.
The minister said that Pakistan will play its role for creation of unity and solidarity among the Muslim countries.
Khawaja Asif said that the fears of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah about Pakistan taking side in the war in Middle East are baseless. He said that if any decision required to be made in this regard the Parliament will be taken into confidence.
Earlier, the leader of the opposition had said that Pakistan should play its role for peace particularly in the Islamic world and should not take any sides in the war in the Middle East.
The opposition leader suggested that a Joint Session of the Parliament or an All Parties Conference should be convened to take any decision on the issue. He said that foreign policy should also be reviewed to meet the present day challenges.
On Thursday, Saudi Arabia joined by some other Gulf Countries launched airstrikes against Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen while according to the Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, the airstrikes were aimed at protecting the people and the legitimate government of Yemen.
Later in her weekly news briefing in Islamabad, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam confirmed that Saudi Arabia had contacted Pakistan to provide assistance to overcome on-going crisis in Yemen. She said that Pakistan was examining Saudi Arabia’s request to join the Gulf-led operation against Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen.
