Daily Times

There was a visible tilt in favour of Saudi Arabia in the speech of Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who defended parliament’s resolution on the Yemen conflict. The PM made a diplomatic statement after holding a brainstorming session with the civil and military leadership. A verbal duel between two ministers of the UAE and Pakistan respectively prompted the PM to intervene and clarify the position of Islamabad. In his statement, the PM has tried to address the concerns of Arab states in a sophisticated manner and reassured his government’s all-out support to the Saudi regime in case the Houthi rebels infiltrate into Saudi territory. The parliamentary resolution, which followed five days of debate, had asked Pakistan to ‘maintain neutrality’ in the Yemen conflict so as to be able to play a proactive diplomatic role to end the crisis. The premier has tried to soothe the fears of the Arab alliance, saying that Pakistan does not abandon friends and strategic partners, especially at a time when their security is under threat. He termed the UAE minister’s remarks a result of misinterpretation of parliament’s resolution. He said Pakistan gives utmost importance to its strategic alliance with the Kingdom and would safeguard its sovereignty. In order to appease his Saudi friends, the premier for the first time publicly condemned the Houthi rebels and other non-state actors in the Yemen conflict. He also criticised the toppling of the Hadi regime by the Houthis. These remarks do not fully conform to parliament’s resolution but the government has not completely changed its position on the issue. It is still calling for a political solution to the crisis while seeking help from other Gulf states.
A positive development is that even the opposition is supporting the government’s response to the Yemen conflict. Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar received a standing ovation in the Senate for reprimanding the UAE minister and the Senate chairman termed the warning of the UAE government against diplomatic norms. The parliamentarians have stressed to the government that no compromise should be made on the country’s sovereignty. Unfortunately, successive governments in Pakistan, even the present one, have mostly relied on aid from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states for sustaining our economy. It would be a very awkward situation for Pakistan if the aid programmes and other incentives are withdrawn. The government must not bow to these threatening statements and tactics that have exposed our weakness of economic reliance on begging. Rather, the government should maintain our prestige and dignity as a self-respecting country. Indeed, pressure is building on the government due to its decision to comply with parliament’s resolution on neutrality. The government is worried about the millions of Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who send half of the remittances of the total that Pakistan receives. All these factors have entangled Pakistan in a difficult situation.
Pakistan cannot afford to be engaged in the Yemen war that carries more serious repercussions compared to problems arising out of the possible non-availability of aid and the return home of the Pakistani workforce. Pakistan’s army is already engaged on the western border and it cannot afford getting bogged down in another regional proxy war. So far, the army chief’s role is praiseworthy as he has assured to abide by parliament’s decision. The pursuance of war is also not in the interests of Saudi Arabia whose army is incapable of fighting cross-border insurgencies on its own. It may prove very dangerous for the Kingdom to remain hostile in the current crisis. However, the Saudi government has also softened its stance. The Saudi Religious Affairs Minister has termed the passage of the resolution Pakistan’s internal matter. He said that the Kingdom was not opposed to mediation and a peaceful settlement but he ruled out any talks with the Houthi rebels. In the given situation, parliament’s consensus on Pakistan’s mediatory and neutral role is reasonable and other countries must respect this democratic right of a sovereign state. *