THE unanimous decision of neutrality made by parliament on the Yemen conflict is undoubtedly a fresh breath for all peace-loving people.

Despite the consensus in parliament, the government is still unable to clarify its stance on the Yemen issue. Some ministers have deliberately reiterated their allegiance to Saudia Arabia in order to pacificy the wrath of the GCC. The deployment of Pakistani troops in Saudi Arabia exclusively for the purpose of raid against Houthis will be an immense error of diplomacy, though about 1,000 Pakistani troops are already present in Saudi Arabia for training and other technical jobs.

On the other hand, some Sunni radical parties and organisations in Pakistan have vehemently rejected the decision made by parliament. The mindset of these radical groups have made the situation more complex.

Besides this, the absence of a full-fledged foreign minister has immensely affected our diplomacy regarding this issue. The government should overtly make its stance public and dismantle the covert stance that seems to be opted. The government should send its representative to all stakeholders related to the Yemen conflict to take them on board to resolve this issue through dialogue.

It should play an active role of a mediator, along with Iran and Turkey, which can reduce the devastation of this war and trigger the process of peace.

Fateh Ullah

Lahore

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2015

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