ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will give an important statement on Saudi-Yemen situation on Monday evening, according to a short a statement issued by the prime minister’s house in Islamabad.
“The PM would deliver an important statement on Yemen-Saudi Arabia issue at 6:30 pm today at the PM house,” the statement said.
The prime minister’s statement will be broadcast on Pakistan Television (PTV) at 06:30 pm and will inform the nation on the situation unfolding in Yemen and Pakistan’s response to Saudi Arabia’s request of military intervention.
The premier will also take the nation into confidence over the Parliament’s resolution on remaining neutral in Yemen and Pakistan’s future course of action.
Consultative meeting on Saudi-Yemen situation underway
Meanwhile, a consultative meeting on Saudi-Yemen situation is underway with the prime minister in the chair in Islamabad.
The meeting is being attended by the Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry.
The sources said that the situation in the Middle East with emphasis on Yemen is being discussed in the meeting.
The sources further said that the prime minister in his upcoming statement likely to announce that Pakistan will actively participate and send its troops to Saudi Arabia if it has even a doubt that Haramain Sharifain may come under an attack.
The prime minister is also likely to announce that Pakistan wants the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OID) to vigorously engage itself to control the Middle East situation and find out a peaceful solution to Yemen crises. Otherwise, the conflict between Shia Houthi rebels and Saudi-led regional coalition in Yemen will leave a devastating impact on the whole Muslim World.
Pakistan has been playing a proactive role to diffuse the situation evolving in the Middle East after the outbreak of fighting between Houthi tribes and the legitimate government in Yemen.
On Friday, the joint session of the Parliament unanimously passed a resolution, urging the federal government to maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict. However, lawmakers expressed unequivocal support to Saudi Arabia in case of any threat to its territorial integrity or Haramain Sharifain.
The resolution evoked a strong response from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday as its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash warned Pakistan of having to pay a “heavy price” for taking on what he called an “ambiguous stand”.
The UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs said that Pakistan should take a clear position “in favour of its strategic relations with the six-nation Arab Gulf Cooperation Council”.
Later on Sunday night, the Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan condemned the UAE minister’s statement and termed it ‘unacceptable’ and a ‘violation of all diplomatic norms’.
“This is not only ironic but a thought-provoking moment that a minister of UAE is hurling threats at Pakistan. The statement of the UAE minister is in stark violation of all diplomatic norms prevalent according to the principals of international relations,” Nisar said.
