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Pakistan making diplomatic efforts to resolve Yemen crisis: FO

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Pakistan making diplomatic efforts to resolve Yemen crisis: FO
Mariana Baabar
Friday, April 03, 2015
From Print Edition


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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is taking a diplomatic initiative to find a peaceful solution to the Yemen crisis calling upon all warring factions to resolve all issues peacefully through dialogue.



According to the Foreign Office, the first step in this regard was a visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Turkey on Friday, so that he can find a way together with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan on “how the two countries can helpfully address the issue”.



There was no confirmation of the arrival of the Iranian foreign minister to Islamabad but neither was there any denial by the Foreign Office. Both countries have been in touch over the Yemeni crisis at the diplomatic level.



“Given the excellent relations between Pakistan and Turkey and the personal rapport between the leadership of the two countries, the prime minister and the president of Turkey will exchange views on the situation relating to Yemen”, said the spokesperson at the Foreign Office.



For now at least there is no word of Pakistan joining the military coalition together with Saudi Arabia to fight what the government now calls are “non-state actors”, inside Yemen. Pakistan says that consultations are continuing and its concerned authorities will stay engaged with the Saudi authorities.



Despite this, Pakistan’s flag continues to be displayed together with 10 coalition partners during military briefings in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has not questioned the presence of the crescent and the star.



The spokesperson justified the reason that Pakistan would not be sending any delegation to Iran because initially, it was Saudi Arabia that established contact with Pakistan.“Saudi Arabia has announced a military action in Yemen at the request of Yemen’s legitimate government. I do not see why similar contact is required with Iran,” responded the spokesperson.



The spokesperson said that no political party in Pakistan has said that protecting Saudi Arabia or the holy places was not Pakistan’s responsibility, but voices have been raised against sending troops to Yemen.



“First, protecting the holy places is every Muslim’s responsibility. I do not think that any political party has said that protecting Saudi Arabia or the holy places is not our responsibility. I do not think that is the correct reflection what has been said. The advice and views expressed have been against sending troops to Yemen,” she said.



To a query regarding Pakistan’s position that any threat to Saudi territorial integrity would evoke strong response from Pakistan and whether this was a message targeted towards Iran, the spokesperson responded, “The message is not targeted towards Iran. How does Iran come into it? Is this your interpretation of the situation between Saudi Arabia and Iran? This is not our assessment. The situation in Yemen is complicated. There is a history.”



All Pakistanis in Yemen are safe and rumours that some Pakistanis had been killed by Houthi rebels are ‘false’, says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which established contact with the remaining Pakistani community for whom efforts are being made so that they can be evacuated safely.



The situation is tense in Mokallah, said the spokesperson at the weekly media briefing, where Wednesday night saw a prison break, and around 175 people were unable to proceed to the port where a Pakistan Navy ship is anchored.



“Once they are embarked, the ship will bring them back directly to Karachi. It is only due to the clashes close to Mokallah where, reportedly, a prison break occurred last night that the operation has got delayed slightly,” she added.



In Sana’a 145 Pakistanis continue to be stranded as first they were reluctant, for reasons best known to them, to join an earlier convoy led by Pakistan’s ambassador, and now refuse to move to the closest port city, Al Hudeida where they could be airlifted or evacuated by sea.



“Flights have not operated from Sana’a airport in recent days because of the ‘no fly zone’ restriction imposed by Saudi Arabia. We are in contact with the Saudi government for an exemption of ‘no fly’ restriction. They had offered ‘no fly’ exemption for Al Hudeida, but we have reiterated our request for Sana’a. The fact that Sana’a airport had been bombed earlier and is partially damaged makes the prospect of a flight more challenging,” explained the spokesperson where small aircraft could be engaged.



The spokesperson said out of 3,000 Pakistanis initially in Yemen, just a few hundred are left, and the embassy could not force people to leave when there was an opportunity.“The mission cannot force people. Some of these people are settled there. They have their businesses and jobs and some of them are married to locals. Some people may have assessed that situation will not deteriorate further but it happened,” she said.
 
The government should take Imran Khans advice play the role of a mediator.I read Nawaz Sharif will contact other Islamic countries including Iran regarding the issue , if true a great step.
 
I wonder if some people know the meaning of diplomatic efforts... :unsure:

Anyway found this:

Middle East News
Pakistan Steers Clear of Yemen Campaign
Islamabad would come to the defense of Saudi territory if needed, officials say

BN-HR053_yemen0_J_20150331103325.jpg


Yemenis inspect a hole Tuesday allegedly made during an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition targeting Houthi rebels. Photo: European Pressphoto Agency


ISLAMABAD—Pakistan won’t participate in the Saudi-led military offensive in Yemen but will help Saudi Arabia defend its own territory if necessary, Pakistani officials said Thursday, as the country tries to avoid falling out with either side of the conflict.

We can’t go into an offensive position,” a senior Pakistani official said.

The statement showed the balance Pakistan is trying to maintain between placating Saudi Arabia, its long-term partner, and preserving ties with its neighbor Iran, which supports the rebels the Saudis aim to defeat in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has asked Pakistan’s military to join the nations supporting its efforts against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, but hasn’t yet asked for the deployment of soldiers for defensive purposes, said the Pakistani official. A plan to help secure the Saudi-Yemen border was being worked on, other Pakistani officials said.

“Given the close historical cultural and religious affinities between the peoples of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, it was reaffirmed that any violation of Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity will evoke a strong response from Pakistan,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement issued Thursday.

At this time, there is no threat to Saudi territorial integrity,” said Khawaja Asif, the Pakistani defense minister, who along with other officials visited Saudi Arabia this week.

Pakistan has long been allied with Saudi Arabia, though in recent years Islamabad has also improved its relations with Iran, which plans to pipe natural gas to its energy-starved neighbor.

The Saudis gave Mr. Sharif refuge when he was ousted in a 1999 coup. They also provided Pakistan with $1.5 billion after Mr. Sharif was re-elected in 2013 to shore up anemic foreign exchange reserves. The Pakistani military has close ties to Saudi Arabia, with some 1,000 Pakistani soldiers in Saudi Arabia on training missions.

The Pakistani comments Thursday seemed at odds with a Saudi official state media report late last week, which said Pakistan had agreed to join the coalition. During a phone called between Mr. Sharif and Saudi King Salman, “the Prime Minister expressed full support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Decisive Storm operation, stressing that all potentials of the Pakistani army are offered to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” according to the report Saturday carried by the Saudi official SPA news agency.

It will be difficult for Pakistan to deliver an unequivocal ‘no’ to the Saudis,” said Arif Rafiq, an adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute, an independent think tank in Washington. “But it is positioning itself for a final answer of ‘yes’ to a modest contingent to defend Saudi territory and the Islamic holy lands.”

Pakistan has called a special joint session of parliament for Monday to debate its role in the Yemen conflict. Every major opposition party has voiced concerns over joining the Yemen operation, but they have also supported Pakistan coming to the aid of Saudi Arabia if it comes under attack.

Imran Khan, leader of the third-biggest party in parliament, said the country should stay out of the operation.

“We should become peace-makers, not participants in this war,” said Mr. Khan. “I fear that the enemies of Muslims are again making us fight among ourselves.”

Pakistani ministers said in recent days that they want to keep Pakistan out of the sectarian war now raging across the Middle East.

Like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan is a majority Sunni Muslim country. Although Shiites are a minority in Pakistan, making up an estimated 20% of the population, Pakistan has the second-largest Shiite population in the world, after Iran. Shiites in Pakistan have been the target of a continuing campaign of bombings and shootings by Sunni militants.

—Qasim Nauman contributed to this article.

Pakistan Steers Clear of Yemen Campaign - WSJ
 
will he go to Iran too ? :lol:

what nato allies are cooking only time will reveal. maybe pakistan help yemen. all think of helping the kingdom but none think of helping yemen. Yemen like Iran will ultimately come out victorious. Iran fought for 8 years.
 
will he go to Iran too ? :lol:

what nato allies are cooking only time will reveal. maybe pakistan help yemen. all think of helping the kingdom but none think of helping yemen. Yemen like Iran will ultimately come out victorious. Iran fought for 8 years.

why would he go to Iran, Iran says they have no interest in Yemen and they are not supporting Rebels. He is going to Turkey because Turkey has good relationship with Saudia as Pakistan does. why doesnt he then also goto Malysia and Indonesia too.
 
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