Pakistan has once again made clear its stance on the Yemen crisis; or rather on the proxy war being fought there between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Our Foreign Office was quick to condemn the second ballistic missile attack on Riyadh in less than a month, launched by the Houthi rebels. The Kingdom believes that regional nemesis Iran is arming the latter.
The FO issued a statement in which it said that Pakistan stands firmly with the Saudi Kingdom and its people. It may or may not be a coincidence that this comes a week after the Islamic Military Alliance had its first official meeting, with our very own Gen Raheel Sharif at the helm.
We understand that the government is right to denounce terrorism wherever it may occur. But we would also wish to remind the Centre of the tightrope it is walking. Meaning that not only is it sitting on the wrong side of the humanitarian fence considering the still ongoing Saudi blockade of Yemeni ports amid mounting international criticism. It also cannot afford to irk Iran unnecessarily.
Also worth bearing in mind are the potential ramifications that ‘snubbing’ Tehran will have at home. By overtly supporting Saudi Arabia in this latest round of retaliation — Pakistan risks forgetting that it, too, is home to a sizeable Shia population. And given the state’s very recent capitulation to the right-wing religious agenda, it can’t afford to fan the flames of sectarianism any longer. What it does not want at this time is for a minority Muslim sect to feel under even more threat; especially not with elections looming large.
Thus Pakistan would do well to stay out of the Saudi-Iran war being played out in Yemen. We have long urged Islamabad to play the role of mediator between the two sides. Today, we say that it must speak up for the voiceless of Yemen. *
Published in Daily Times, December 3rd 2017.