LAHORE - The government should launch an immediate diplomatic offensive to deal with Saudi-Yemen crisis before sending troops to Saudi Arabia as the state’s security establishment is of the assessment that there is no “clear and impending danger” to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) at the moment.
Informed security establishment sources familiar with the developments taking place against the backdrop of the Saudi-Yemen crisis told The Nation on Tuesday that sending troops to Saudi Arabia to deal with a threat, according to the perception of our Arab friend, is likely to prove counter-productive, so the state should employ immediate diplomatic manoeuvres at the earliest.
“The military leadership is ready to act upon the directions of the political leadership concerning the issue but it would not be advisable to send troops when there is no “real threat or clear and present danger” to the brotherly Arab country,” they said.
They added the possible and real threat that could emerge from the Saudi-Yemen crisis, if this serious issue is mishandled, is sectarian warfare that could engulf Middle Eastern nations with their friends in the South Asian region.
About the prime minister’s assurance to the Kingdom for military support, the sources, sticking to their position, remarked: “The Military leadership is ready to execute the government’s directions, but there should be a real threat to our friend as the military is already over-stretched within the state frontiers countering terrorism and facing enemy on the borders.”
They said Pakistan’s troops would protect the inner cordon which includes the holy places and cities of the Kingdom if a situation arises for their assistance, while the outer cordon (borders) would be their own responsibility.
The sources say they are of the assessment that Saudi-Yemen conflict is part of a “bigger plot” designed by some international powers to possibly create sectarian warfare among the Muslim nations across the globe to take advantage of the situation suiting their interests.
They suggest troops from different Muslim nations under the UN umbrella to deal with the conflict militarily, if not resolved through dialogue. This proposal, if put in action, would involve all the Muslim states and would prevent it from becoming a “possible sectarian conflict”.
They are of the assessment that following various developments in Middle East recently, two blocs have emerged – one comprising Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar while the other consisting of Iran, Syria and larger parts of Iraq and Yemen. Pakistan, being a close friend of Saudi Arabia and bordering with another important Gulf state, Iran, should play a proactive role in bringing the two blocs closer for minimum working cooperation to ease the tension.
The temperature rose in the Arab world after the Parliament’s Yemen resolution, after which UAE Foreign Affairs State Minister Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, talking to a Gulf newspaper, warned Pakistan of having to pay a heavy price for taking what he called an ambiguous stand on the escalating crisis in Yemen.
Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan rebuked the UAE minister for using undiplomatic language.
Meanwhile, the prime minister, terming Saudi Arabia a ‘strategic ally’, on Monday expressed the resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Saudi brethren in case of any threat to the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a policy statement following the Parliament’s resolution on the issue of Yemen and the ensuing ‘disappointment’ expressed by certain officials in the Gulf states, PM Nawaz said his government will intensify efforts for a negotiated resolution of the Yemen crisis.
Speaking after chairing an urgent consultative meeting of top civil and military leadership, the prime minister said Islamabad did not abandon friends and strategic partners, especially at a time when their security is under threat. “We want to assure the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that their frustration was due to a miscommunication in the interpretation of the stand of our Parliament.
He said the resolution had affirmed, in clear and categorical terms, that any violation of the Saudi territorial sovereignty or threat to the two holy mosques would evoke a strong response from Pakistan. This assurance was given despite the massive commitment of our armed forces in the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb.