ISLAMABAD - US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and discussed with him the Middle East crisis, and the ways and means to facilitate negotiated settlement of the dispute.
Sources in the government informed that the situation in Yemen came under discussion during the telephonic conversation with specific reference to the efforts being made by the government of Pakistan for searching some negotiated settlement of the dispute.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution adopted here on Tuesday also figured in the conversation. The UNSC resolution had placed arms embargo against the Houthi rebels leadership and demanded that all parties refrain from unilateral actions that could undermine the country’s UN-facilitated political transition.
It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was engaged in consultation with the world leaders, particularly the heads of brotherly Muslim states, to pave the way for the negotiated settlement of the dispute.
He had also mentioned to these efforts in the policy statement he had given on Monday last and expressed his resolve that they would definitely succeed in resolution of the Middle East crisis through negotiations.
With the same aim in mind Prime Minister would be leaving for Malaysia in a next few days where he would engage the Malaysian leadership in the process.
Prime Minister had a detailed telephonic conversation with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the issue and both the leaders agreed to step up their joint efforts for the resolution of the crisis and it was also agreed upon between them that other Muslim states should also be engaged in the process.
Erdogan and Nawaz had stressed that Houthis didn’t have any right to overthrow a legitimate government in Yemen and affirmed that any violation of the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia would evoke a strong reaction from both the countries, it added.
‘SHAHBAZ-LED DELEGATION
VISITS KSA TODAY’
MONITORING Desk adds: A high-level delegation led by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will leave for Saudi Arabia today, reported a private TV channel, quoting its sources Tuesday.
Civil and military bigwigs will be included in the delegation that will hold meetings with the Saudi authorities on Yemen crisis.
However, the TV channel did not disclose names of the civilian and military officials who will be the part of the delegation.