Pakistan officials arrive in Saudi Arabia to assess Yemen mission
Date
3/31/2015 11:31:19 PM
(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Defence minister says Pakistan will be standing with Saudi brothers.
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Islamabad: Senior Pakistani officials arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to assess whether to take part in Riyadh’s coalition battling Houthi rebels in Yemen as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed that any violation of Saudi sovereignty would bring a “strong reaction” from his country.
The delegation includes Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammed Asif National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz and some military officers Pakistani state TV said. Asif told state TV before departing that he had been in contact with the Saudis in recent days. “God willing we will be standing with our Saudi brothers” he said. The Saudi-led coalition began airs trikes last week targeting the Iran-supported rebels known as Houthis who seized Yemen’s capital in September.
The Pakistani delegation will meet Saudi Crown Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz and the Saudi Defence Minister in Riyadh besides meeting other high-ranking Saudi officials for discussion over the crisis in Yemen.
The delegation is also expected to meet the leadership of Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the possibility of enabling a truce in Yemen.
Pakistan has voiced support for the mission but is not taking part in the Saudi-led airs trikes. Asif said on Monday that Pakistan hadn’t yet decided whether to despatch combat troops. Pakistan already has 292 troops in Saudi Arabia taking part in joint exercises.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s office said in a statement on Tuesday that his country “considers the security of the holy land of utmost importance” adding that “any violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Saudi Arabia would evoke a strong reaction from Pakistan.”
Earlier on Tuesday Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also directed the authorities concerned to bring back stranded Pakistanis from Yemen immediately a TV channel reported.
“We will evacuate stranded Pakistanis from the war-torn country as soon as possible” the premier assured while addressing a top-level meeting at the PM House in Islamabad.
During the meeting Sharif was briefed on the current situation in Yemen and the status of the remaining Pakistani expats there. The meeting was attended by several federal ministers and army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif.
(With inputs from AP)
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