Opposition huddle demands APC over Yemen crisis

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Opposition huddle demands APC over Yemen crisis

Dawn.com Published April 1, 2015

KARACHI: A joint resolution read at the end of an opposition parties' meeting held on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Yemen called for a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, and demanded that the government hold an All Parties Conference (APC) before taking a stance on the issue.

The meeting, chaired by former president Asif Ali Zardari, was held at Bilawal House and attended by representatives from the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI-F).

PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman, while reading out the joint declaration, said the government should summon an APC and a joint Parliament session to formulate the nation’s stance on the critical matter.

Also speaking on the occasion, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said dialogue on the issue was the need of the hour. He urged all stakeholders to sit together to resolve their differences.

MQM leader Farooq Sattar said “the government is flying solo on the issue". The whole nation is concerned about the alarming situation and all concerns need to be addressed, he added.

The participants of the meeting expressed concern over the deteriorating condition in Yemen and its implications on the region and on Pakistan.

It was unanimously agreed that the stability and integrity of the Gulf and all countries in the region is of paramount importance. The participants underscored the role of dialogue in resolving the conflict, and went on to say that Saudi Arabia's sanctity was pivotal for Muslims all over the world ─ and Pakistan's response should reflect this belief.

Pakistan delegation in Saudi Arabia

Following Saudi Arabia's offensive in Yemen against Houthi rebels, Pakistan has been mulling over its role in the conflict after Saudi leadership requested Pakistan to participate in and support its operations.

A high-level Pakistani delegation led by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, comprising senior civil-military officials, is currently in Saudi Arabia to evaluate the situation.

A decision on whether Pakistan is to send troops to participate in the Yemen offensive is likely to be made after the delegation's return.

Also read: Yemen conflict: Neutrality no longer an option for Pakistan?

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Gramscian

Apr 01, 2015 07:51pm

Whats the point? The decision was made when the king summoned NS few weeks ago. And why did not NS put the issue before parliament?

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Awais Ali

Apr 01, 2015 07:56pm

When will you call APC on the issues of common man of Pakistan? By the way you have to return $1.5 billion in the case of rejection to Saudi Arabia.

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Muzaffar Ali

Apr 01, 2015 08:07pm

"We control our choices (to go or not to go) but we do not control the consequences of those choices" Think hard and fast what will be implication of this adventure. It does not look good for the future of Pakistan.We will go the route of Libya, Syria Iraq...is that what the Government wants? You don't need a genius to figure that out!

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imran

Apr 01, 2015 08:10pm

defense of harram and soudia should be considered as two separate things. this conflict involves soudia and yemen not harram. We should only intervene for the protection of harram. the muslim countries should work towards the creation of a seperate country which only contains the area of harram just like the vatican city.

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Shahpur

Apr 01, 2015 08:11pm

Saudis war in Yeman is a long war and GOD knows where it is going. Pakistan has no business to get involved with Saudis problems. Pakistan should get rid of Terrorism and Corruption at home.

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Mathew

Apr 01, 2015 08:21pm

Pakistan People's Party knows the art of governing a state better than Pakistan Muslim League.

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Aziz Bhoi

Apr 01, 2015 08:24pm

opposition parties shoud strength The hand of Government unconditionally at this Critical hours instead of demanding APC. Pakistan is bound to show solidarity With KSA (خدادم الحرمين )

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Ahmed Soomar

Apr 01, 2015 08:26pm

Both countries are important for us, but Saudi Arabia is most important due to (Pakistani)Muslims affiliation with holy places, and we are not going to tolerate any harm or effort of harm to holy places by any one.

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syed wasim haider

Apr 01, 2015 08:26pm

They just reiterated what IK has said in the beginning.

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adil jadoon

Apr 01, 2015 08:37pm

Why a conference? What is the parliament for?? Why do they want to waste public money!

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Abdulsamad

Apr 01, 2015 08:47pm

Pakistan should Defend the Islamic region but also focus the own crises which terrorism i suggest that Islamic countries should followed their Religion Rules and regulation which is not regulate by both nations.Pakistan should have to evaluate their own problems which found as country founded on 14 August 1947

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CYRUS

Apr 01, 2015 09:18pm

@adil jadoon Exactly.

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azmat

Apr 01, 2015 09:20pm

PPP and MQM just want some positive attention from the media at the moment to salvage their reputation (if there was any). MQM is in the firing line and PPP would soon be, or so we hope

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Awais Ali

Apr 01, 2015 09:22pm

What about previous APC in which all parties took oath to clean Karachi

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Pragmatist

Apr 01, 2015 09:23pm

Pakistan is a confused state. They never do anything in their own interest.

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Aftab Siddiqui

Apr 01, 2015 09:33pm

I would agree with the Opposition parties on this issue. In a situation of dire consequences for Pakistan, we should be very careful in taking sides. Yemen is in a state of civil war and does not need foreign military involvement. Saudi Arabia should take a diplomatic initiative to bring the two sides on a table to talk it out. After all historically, Saudis have supported Houtis awhile back. Pakistan must be careful in getting in to a conflict against Iran. We already have bad relations with India and Afghanistan. Yemen is thousands of miles away but Iran is right next to our borders. Better keep out of fight between Saudis and Iran. Peace is better than war especially, when both the sides are Muslims.

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Mustafa

Apr 01, 2015 09:33pm

Why don't they raiser their voices in the parliament? What is the parliament for?

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Noor Hussain

Apr 01, 2015 09:41pm

Yeman crises are a test for the political acumen of all political parties.Their success or failure in handling it will, yield long lasting good or bad effects on the state.

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M. Shad

Apr 01, 2015 09:43pm

@Mathew The situation of this country is witness to that.

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Tasneem

Apr 01, 2015 09:53pm

So why we have parliament if we call APC to discuss National issues?

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adnan

Apr 01, 2015 09:54pm

@adil jadoon its not about the conference; the politics here are to cut down size of PML N and pakistan government. how many APC's did PPP conduct? it was a mistake for Nawaz to do this on terror as well, as this sets a trend. the issues has been addressed in parliament; opposition can ask a fresh question this and debate it. nawaz should not call apc's again

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IBaloch@bh.com

Apr 01, 2015 10:01pm

Why? Why? Why? What business Pakistan has to get involved in this conflict?

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muhammed ahmed khan

Apr 01, 2015 10:02pm

someone stop N-Leauge from taking decision for their personal relationships at the cost of common people of Pakistan.

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Syed Ganga Din

Apr 01, 2015 10:03pm

We should disown Yemen crisis as quickly as possible and all Parties conference can do that, so be it. Good Luck. I feel that Pakistan is being set up against Iran.

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Shamain 2015 no likes jealous bhindians

Apr 01, 2015 10:04pm

Look at the guy in the pic background staring straight into the camera.

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Haneef

Apr 01, 2015 10:14pm

Government should involve all the stakeholders in the decision making, its going to be very arduous job.

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Apr 01, 2015 11:05pm

Bravo, Asif Ali Zardari leading the opposition in the very right direction.

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Merchant

Apr 02, 2015 12:20am

We have suffered colossal loss of life in fighting America's war on terror, now we are likely to fight on behalf of Saudi Arabia which happens to be American ally but not ours. There should be a public referendum on this serious issue.

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CYRUS

Apr 02, 2015 01:10am

Posing with Sattar is not the kind of publicity Zadari needs. If he was not too close with MQM during his recent term as president, and had better relations with the Pak Army, crime in Karachi might have been on the way to being cleaned up already. If he plays nice with MQM he stays safe.

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Munna Lahori

Apr 02, 2015 01:16am

one idea to waive off the 1.5 billion dollar aid and other aids taken by monarch is that we wait and see do not get involved this Kingdom is a game of few months or a couple of years and then people govt will come in Saudia than we get the waiver from the govt as we tell them we did not helped the Kings to Save your democracy.

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M. Mushtaq Ahmed

Apr 02, 2015 01:42am

One should learn from earlier intervention of Yemen when Saudi Arabia and Egypt were supporting opposite sides. Egyptian army send to Yemen was a disaster and is call Vietnam of Jamal Nasar. In this conflict Iran is not clean either. Saudies have reacted in this way as it's in their backyard. Does unkrain comes to mind where Russia acted to defend it's interest. Bottom line is negotiations. However, Saudies will not accept Iran as negotiationing party. What we on our hands is a disaster of Muslim's own making. Stay tuned.

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CYRUS

Apr 02, 2015 02:04am

@Muzaffar Ali In battle decisions had obvious consequences, as does the run up to a war. Decisions have been something Pakistan is not very good at. Pakistan has isolated itself in the world for decades. The world does not need to know what Pakistan's position is. Most people in the world could not even tell us where Pakistan is. The world has long since stopped caring about Pakistan or paying attention to Pakistan. Pakistan will continue be on it's own unless it lives up to it's obligations. What the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia thinks is a different story. Foreign ministers mediate, defense ministers take risks. Prime ministers must form personal relationships. If Nawaz Sharif owes, he owes. A prime minister cannot go back on his word.

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Nischit

Apr 02, 2015 02:52am

@Ahmed Soomar dude, the war is in Yemen. Saudi is imposing no fly zone on Yemen airspace wants Pakistani army to send it's troops. Nothing to do with holy sites

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Khan

Apr 02, 2015 03:42am

@syed wasim haider Who is IK ? The guy who got elected and never went to Assembly and then resigned and then agreed to go back to same assembly he called bogus. Shameful and disgusting kind of politics ever seen in the history of Pakistan.

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Khan

Apr 02, 2015 03:44am

@Pragmatist I can expect such remarks from my eastern neighbours.

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kumail

Apr 02, 2015 03:50am

No one is showing the true picture to people. Here are few facts that no one can deny. Saudi Arabia is not attacked Houthis are muslim All this support of corrupt regimes does not make saudi right. Help Yemen people Houthis were successful in fighting alqaeda, that may be the reason

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Apr 02, 2015 06:05am

What else can they say?

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Rajab Ali

Apr 02, 2015 06:23am

APC on Yemen or increasing worldwide investigations of money laundering!

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