A high-level Pakistani delegation on Tuesday arrived in Riyadh to decide whether to accept Saudi Arabia’s request to send troops for a coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels, as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif warned of a “strong reaction” if Saudi sovereignty is breached.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif is leading the powerful delegation that includes Prime Minister’s Advisor for Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and military officials. They will hold talks with the kingdom’s leadership after it requested troops to bolster a Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said.
According to a government official, a special plane took the delegation to Saudi Arabia for discussion. “The delegation will discuss the issue of Yemen with top Saudi officials and will report back to the government,” he said.
The issue of deploying troops will be taken in consultation with army and political parties, he added. Pakistan “considers the security of the holy land of utmost importance,” Sharif’s office said in a statement today. “Any violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Saudi Arabia would evoke a strong reaction from Pakistan,” it added.
last week, the Saudi government approached Pakistan with a request to provide troops in support of its operation in Yemen where Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels have taken control.