Pakistan to Debate Yemen Crisis in Parliament
Pakistan will hold a special session of parliament on Monday to debate whether to join the Saudi-led coalition against anti-government rebels in Yemen, the prime minister's office said.
Islamabad, a close and longstanding ally of Saudi Arabia, has so far resisted Riyadh's demand for it to join the group of Arab nations trying to prevent Shiite Huthi rebels from taking over in Yemen.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting on the Yemen crisis on Thursday after a high-level political and military delegation returned from a fact-finding trip to Saudi.
A statement released afterwards reiterated the government's stance that any breach of Saudi "territorial integrity" would bring a "strong response" from Pakistan.
It also condemned "actions by non-state actors in Yemen to overthrow a legitimate government," but stopped short of committing to join the kingdom's coalition at this stage.
"The prime minister... emphasized that all decisions in the matter will be taken in accordance with the wishes of the people of Pakistan," the statement said.
"To this end, the prime minister is advising the president to convene a joint session of parliament on Monday April 6 to discuss this matter of national importance."
The Pakistani foreign ministry said late Thursday Sharif would also visit Turkey on Friday to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to "exchange views on the situation relating to Yemen".
"They will also discuss how the two countries can be helpful in addressing the issue," it said in a statement.
Pakistan faces a tricky dilemma over the intervention in Yemen. It enjoys long military ties with Riyadh and has benefited hugely from the kingdom's largesse over the years.
Like Saudi, Pakistan is majority Sunni Muslim, but 20 percent of its population is Shiite and it is wary of fanning sectarian discord at home.
Pakistan also borders Iran, the main Shiite power, which has strongly criticized the Saudi-led strikes on Yemen.
Moreover, concerns have been voiced in Pakistan about joining the Yemen intervention, seen by some as a "foreign" war, when the army is already stretched at home fighting Taliban militants.
Source: Agence France Presse
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