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Pakistani PM calls for restoration of Yemeni gov't

Xinhua, April 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday called for restoration of the government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi as it would be an important step to ensure peace in the war-torn country.

Prime Minister Sharif was speaking at a televised address days after the parliament urged the government to stay neutral in the conflict in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia had formally requested Pakistan to provide fighter jets, warships and ground troops, the country's defense minister Khwaja Asif had told the parliament last week.

However, the prime minister did not give any hint about Pakistan military support at the moment and renewed his gov't previous stance that Islamabad will defend Saudi Arabia if its territorial integrity is threatened.

The prime minister defended the parliamentary resolution which also said that "any violation of the Saudi territorial sovereignty will evoke a strong response from Pakistan."

The United Arab Emirate, an ally of Saudi Arabia in the conflict, had criticized what it called "Pakistan's vague stance" on the issue.

Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the actions by the Houthis and other non-state actors to overthrow the legitimate government of Yemen and expressed serious concern at the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation there.

"We believe that the restoration of President Hadi's government will be an important step forward towards establishing peace in Yemen," he said.

He also called for finding a peaceful solution to the crisis through dialogue among the warring factions.

"We have already intensified contacts with Saudi Arabia to monitor the ground situation and possible threats to the security and territorial integrity of the Kingdom."

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif traveled to Turkey this month for talks on Yemen crisis and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif visited Islamabad to discuss the issue.

"I also conveyed to the Iranian Foreign Minister that the violent overthrow of the legitimate government in Yemen by the Houthis had set a dangerous precedent that was fraught with serious risks for the entire region," Mr Sharif said.

"I also urged him to use Iran's influence to bring the Houthis to the negotiating table," he said referring to Iran's sway over Shiite Houthis.

He said Pakistan will intensify its diplomatic efforts in the coming days, in consultation with the leadership of Saudi Arabia, to resolve the crisis. Endi