ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday it was examining Saudi Arabia's request to join the Gulf-led operation against Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam told reporters at the weekly media briefing in Islamabad that Saudi Arabia had contacted Pakistan on an emergency basis and extended the invitation to join the operation against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
She did not specify the details of the request made by Saudi Arabia to Pakistan but said that the matter was being examined.
Aslam said that the Pakistani mission in Yemen has been placed on alert and has been asked to keep in touch with the Pakistan community residing there.
"The Pakistani community has been asked to be ready for possible evacuation," she further said.
The Foreign Office spokesperson said that no decision has been made by Islamabad with regard to closing its mission in Sana.
Saudi Arabia and Gulf region allies launched military operations including air strikes in Yemen on Thursday, Saudi officials said, to counter Iran-allied forces besieging the southern city of Aden, where the US-supported Yemeni president had taken refuge.
Gulf broadcaster al-Arabiya TV reported that the kingdom was contributing as many as 150,000 troops and 100 warplanes to the operations and that allies Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Pakistan were ready to take part in a ground offensive in Yemen.
I think they're trying to delay then politely turn them down. Smart move.