ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani in Doha to discuss security cooperation, as an opposition leader called on the federal government to facilitate talks between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Gulf Times reported that Qatar and Pakistan discussed bilateral security cooperation during talks in Doha. The two ministers explored ways to further boost bilateral relations between the two nations in the security sector and discussed several issues of shared concern.

Yemen talks

Separately, Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Allama Raja Nasir Abbas urged Islamabad to mediate between Yemen and Saudi Arabia to end the hostilities.

He was addressing a press conference at the party’s head office. He said that the people of Yemen contacted him and said that they had been under siege for twelve years – which was unfair.

MWM urges govt to facilitate talks between S. Arabia and Yemen

“Therefore, it is time that the government of Pakistan should also play the role of mediator between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, to end the prevailing crisis there and also end the sufferings faced by the people of Yemen,” Senator Abbas said, adding that he would write a letter to the PM as well.

The MWM leader said that the misguided policies of the respective governments led to polarisation in society, adding that for the past two years, the Pakistan-Iran border had been shut, disrupting pilgrimage to Iran and Iraq.

“A large number of faithful have been deprived of pilgrimage due to the closure of the roads,” he said.

He also asked the Punjab government not to “restrict” the mourning activities ahead of Chehlum. He said it was their constitutional and legal right to observe mourning within the ambit of the law, adding that the Punjab government had been imposing restrictions every year as soon as Muharram arrived. “…I demand the Punjab government not spread hatred in the name of religion and sects, through its wrong actions and policies, and by restricting the mourning activities during Muharram and Chehlum,” he said.

“False FIRs are filed, and false cases are registered; now as Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) is approaching, the police are discouraging people from processions — how is that (processions) a violation of law?” he said.

“We will participate fully in the Chehlum processions, and I ask the federal and Punjab law ministers to look at the situation,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2026