A defensive sounding speech by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in response to the UAE Minister’s remarks against the passage of a resolution in parliament and now the visit of a high-level delegation led by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to Riyadh show the severity of the situation the PML-N government has been passing through. Questions are being raised why the government is so apologetic and eager to calm down the anger of the Kingdom and other Arab states and what is the reason for this bitterness on the part of the Gulf Arab states? It is being speculated that in his earlier visit to the Kingdom, the premier may have made a commitment to the Saudis that is appearing difficult to fulfil now. Even if the government has made some commitment, it must defend parliament’s resolution. Pakistan can only apply diplomatic ways to get out of this imbroglio. After the passage of a resolution in the UN Security Council that imposed sanctions on the Houthi militia and former ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh, it has become relatively easier for Pakistan to stand by Saudi Arabia but it should not be involved in a protracted conflict in Yemen. The best Pakistan can do is deploy its 1,000 troops that are already in the Kingdom to defend Saudi territory, but plunging into the actual fighting in Yemen is not in the interests of Pakistan. Islamabad has to be very cautious in its approach and it should side with other Muslim countries like Turkey that are calling for a political settlement of the issue. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces are conducting air strikes but when a ground offensive will start, it will prove to be more devastating and decisive for both sides. The Saudi government itself cannot afford such ground combat and its forces do not have experience of fighting insurgents like the Houthi rebels. This is the reason the Saudi regime is insisting on Pakistan sending troops to fight in Yemen. Pakistan is not in a position to join the fray when its forces are already busy in Operation Zarb-e-Azb in the tribal areas. Islamabad should resolve this issue diplomatically. It should continue its efforts to calm down the Saudi regime and its allies. At the same time, it should make the Gulf Arab states understand that the government cannot afford to bypass parliament and its resolution that has urged the government to stay neutral and limit its role to the defence of Saudi Arabia. The underlying logic and wisdom of this resolution cannot be ignored and it is incumbent on the Gulf Arab states to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty and the decisions of its parliament. *