ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has not decided to join the ongoing war in Yemen but would defend Saudi Arabia against any threat to its territorial integrity, Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif told the National Assembly on Friday, to calm down the opposition’s fears that the government had already taken a decision without consulting the parliament.

But the minister did not rule out the possibility of sending troops to the area, saying “if a need arises at any moment to commit forces, parliament will be taken into confidence.

“We have neither decided to commit forces (in the conflict) nor it has been considered,” he said in a policy statement after opposition leader Khursheed Ahmed Shah demanded the government either convene a joint session of the two houses of parliament or at least convene a meeting of the leadership of all political parties before taking a decision.

Defence minister says Saudi Arabia will be defended against any threat

The minister repeatedly said that if there was a danger to Saudi Arabia’s integrity, “Pakistan will definitely defend it”.

Saudi Arabia has already entered the conflict in support of the embattled Yemeni President, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, by launching air strikes against Houthi rebels on Thursday.

Khawaja Asif, who spoke in the house a day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif consulted his top defence and national security aides, said Pakistan had offered to send a political-cum-military delegation to Saudi Arabia to assess the kingdom’s defence needs.

But contrary to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday saying the delegation, comprising the defence minister, Adviser to PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and senior officers of the armed force, would go to Saudi Arabia on Friday, the minister told the house that the team would leave in two to three days after an Arab League summit in Egypt.

Mr Shah, who took up the issue immediately after the question hour on the last day of a 12-day spring session, challenged the government, saying how “such a big decision” could be taken without consulting the parliament.

“Don’t take such big decisions sitting in a room,” he said.

But he seemed partly satisfied with the defence minister’s assurances, saying he trusted him and wished whatever was stated was true.

And he advised the government to rather play a role to resolve conflicts between Muslim countries.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2015

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