ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party on Tuesday asked the government to call back troops from Saudi Arabia.
The PPP urged the government to make diplomatic efforts to bring about peace in the “unfortunate war-torn zone” and unite the Muslims.
In a statement, the PPP parliamentary leader in the Senate Taj Haider alleged the incumbent government had promoted conflict within the Muslim-majority nations.
This week Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Pakistani troops only had an advisory role in Saudi Arabia and were deployed in the kingdom for the last 30 years.
Abbasi said around 2,500 Pakistani troops were imparting training in Saudi Arabia, adding, he would also take the parliament into confidence on the matter of sending more troops to Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan’s decision to send troops to Saudi Arabia and allow former army chief Gen Raheel Sharif to lead the Saudi-led military alliance annoyed Iran who called it a Sunni-alliance.
In the recent past, Pakistan-Iran ties had been far from warm as Iran believes the “Sunni-alliance” was formed to target Shia Muslims rather than terrorists.
The alliance was formed by Saudi Arabia in December 2015 with its headquarters in Riyadh.
Pakistan delayed approval to Raheel Sharif – considering Iran’s objections - for several months before finally giving a nod to the former army chief.
Taj Haider recalled that it was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who in the long history of Islam had for the first time brought the heads of states of all Muslim-majority countries under one roof.
“Bhutto brought about a consensus among them on a peaceful and reconciliatory way to resolve their mutual differences. It is tragic to see that the present government of pseudo democrats is bent upon promoting conflict within the world of Islam and has sent Pakistani soldiers to Saudi Arabia against a clear decision taken by the parliament,” he added.
The resolution of non-interference passed by the parliament, Haider said, was reflective of the desire of the people of Pakistan who following the vision of Bhutto want to see the world of Islam as a united entity.
Senator Haider said it was common knowledge that the decision to send the troops had been taken much before the matter was raised in the joint session of the parliament.
“Funds from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had also been received. The motives for committing our armed forces in a conflict between two brother Muslim countries were purely personal,” he said.
Haider said the move by the government was a return of the favours shown to the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif by Saudi Arabia reaching an agreement with and securing a pardon from dictator Pervez Musharraf.
“The appointment of General Raheel Sharif to head the forces of 40 Muslim countries was the first phase of the divisive plan. The resolution of the joint session of the parliament only delayed the implementation of the divisive plan of the pseudo democrats,” he said. The senator said during the last few decades, hundreds of thousands of Muslims had been killed at the hands of other Muslims in proxy wars patronised by American imperialism and Zionism.
“Now there is a conflict within the 40-nation alliance as well. God forbid there is no danger to the holy mosques of Medina Pak and Mecca Sharif. The real objective of American imperialism, Zionism and Indian Brahmanism is to divide and weaken the world of Islam by promoting internal armed conflicts. The pseudo democrats are playing in the hands of these forces for purely personal ends,” he said.
Haider said an opportunity to mediate and to end the conflict between brothers has been sadly lost.
“The valiant armed forces of Pakistan are bravely fighting the evil forces of terrorism and extremism internally, and the cowardly attacks of Indian Brahmanism on the Line of Control in Kashmir. Which Pakistani would genuinely desire to have a single soldier of ours posted abroad to fan conflict between brothers at this time or at any other time? And this too for serving the personal ends of some discredited individuals,” he said.
Senator Haider demanded that the resolution passed by the joint session of the parliament should be respected and implemented in letter and spirit.
ZARDARI TAKES NOTICE OF BAJAUR’S YOUTH MURDER
Former president Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday took notice of murder of a youth Ahmed Shah from Bajaur in Karachi and has instructed Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah to submit a report after completion of inquiry into the murder.
Pakistan People’s Party leader Akhundzada Chattan called on the former President and apprised him of the tragic incident, a party statement said. “Asif Ali Zardari instructed Sindh government to apprehend the killers of Ahmed Shah. These kinds of incidents will not be tolerated,” he said.