Pakistan’s parliament has rebuffed a Saudi request for military participation in its offensive against Yemeni rebels, undermining the coalition’s ability to mount an effective ground campaign and delivering a blow to Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The parliament unanimously passed a resolution affirming its neutrality in the Yemeni conflict, but expressed “unequivocal” support for Saudi Arabia and pledged to defend the kingdom in case of any violation of its territorial integrity or threat to the Muslim holy sites of Mecca and Medina.
“There is a message to the Houthis too,” said a senior Pakistani official. “If they go across the border into Saudi Arabia, we will certainly be there in support of the Saudis.”
Saudi Arabia had requested troops, ships and aircraft support for “Operation Decisive Storm”, which aims to restore to power Abd-Rabbu Hadi, the Yemeni president, who has fled the country in the face of rapid advances from the Houthis and their ally Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former president.
Legitimacy
Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates foreign minister, had this week said the coalition was considering a ground campaign to achieve its objectives of restoring “legitimacy”.
Analysts say the coalition, which may try to secure the cities of Sanaa and Aden, was keen to exploit Pakistan’s battle-hardened army, which has experience fighting Islamist extremists in mountain terrain similar to Yemen’s.
The Saudis charge that the Houthis, who they say are armed by Iran, have “kidnapped” the country.
Iran’s leaders launched broadsides against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, accusing their regional rival of genocide in Yemen and comparing its tactics to their common enemy, Israel.
And the Pakistani resolution came a day after Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, visited Islamabad to hold talks on Yemen. The resolution called for the warring factions “to resolve their differences peacefully through dialogue”.
Targets
Saudi Arabia has been striking targets in Yemen for the past two weeks as the kingdom battles the Houthi rebel movement that has extended its reach from Sanaa, the capital, to the port city of Aden. Coalition air strikes rained down overnight on Aden, where Houthi-allied forces have been fighting troops and tribes loyal to Mr Hadi.
The World Health Organisation has said more than 560 people, including dozens of children, have been killed. Unicef says 100,000 have been displaced since nightly air strikes began.
A Saudi spokesman on Thursday said the campaign’s air strikes were hitting military targets, adding the Houthis were trying to “garner media support by making it appear the coalition is targeting civilians”.
With agencies warning of humanitarian catastrophe, a Red Cross ship had reached Aden, but was stranded because of fighting, the coalition said.
The first airlifts from Unicef and the Red Cross carrying medical supplies and water reached Sanaa on Friday. – (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2015)