Pakistan - Pak-Arab spat

A spat over the Yemen conflict raises the prospects of a deepening rift in ties between Pakistan and the Gulf Arab states. On April 10, lawmakers of both houses of parliament passed a unanimous resolution on the crisis in Yemen urging Pakistan to stay neutral in the conflict. In the case of any violation of Saudi Arabia’s territorial sovereignty and any threat to the two holy sites, Pakistan will stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia and its people, it said. The passage of the resolution has been severely criticised by the Arab parliament. Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Arab Parliament in the Arab League has said that he is ‘disappointed’ with the Pakistani parliament’s decision to remain neutral. The Gulf states coalition has been bombing Yemen for over two weeks, hoping to slow the advance of the Houthi militia towards the southern port city of Aden. They have rejected the call of Iran to stop the air bombardment, while a Saudi adviser has termed the mediation talks a joke. The hostile response from these Arab states towards the Houthi rebels in Yemen has not been fully supported by Pakistan, which has angered these states. It was the outcome of this anger that the UAE minister of state for foreign affairs came down hard on Pakistan for passing this resolution. Although Chaudhry Nisar was quick in rebuking the irresponsible statement by the UAE minister, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has tried to further clarify the government's stance over the Yemen conflict. He termed the UAE minister's criticism a result of misinterpretation of the parliament's resolution. The premier categorically stated that Pakistan attaches great importance to its ties with Saudi Arabia and vowed to strengthen this strategic alliance. He reiterated the resolve to stand by Saudi Arabia in case of any threat to its sovereignty. He also condemned the Houthi forces takeover of Yemen by overthrowing its legitimate government. He urged Iran to play its role in convincing the Houthi rebels to come to the negotiation table.

Pakistan has to be very cautious in its statements and decisions regarding the Yemen conflict. It cannot afford the anger of the Arab states. There are serious repercussions and complications that cannot be ignored. Saudi Arabia and the UAE provide almost all of Pakistan’s crude imports. Besides oil, gas and other trade as well as funding prospects, Saudi Arabia and the UAE host several million Pakistanis who work in jobs like construction, making them the top providers of remittances. The Emirates are also preferred destinations for Pakistanis to invest in real estate. All these factors have made Pakistan walk a difficult tightrope. Pakistan is not in a position to turn a blind eye to the reservations of the Arab coalition, more importantly the head of the alliance and its time tested friend Saudi Arabia. Reportedly, Pakistan is also weighing the option of deploying troops in Saudi Arabia in case the fighting rages on and the rebels cross over into Saudi territory. Saudi Arabia pins high hopes on Pakistan's support. The visit of Saudi Minister Abdul Aziz along with a five-member delegation is part of the Kingdom's policy to seek Pakistan's help in its war against the Yemeni rebels. However, the conflict has raised fears that a sectarian proxy war between rivals Riyadh and Tehran will further destabilise the Middle East.

It was inevitable that Pakistan had to strike a balance between the two options as both had their respective repercussions and complications. First, Pakistan was enticed by the oil-rich Gulf states to extend all-out military support to defeat the Houthi insurgency. Secondly, it was up to Pakistan to play a mediatory and neutral role in line with the policy adopted by Turkey. Under the pressure of its parliament, Pakistan has decided to go with the latter but it is now making damage control efforts. Parliament's approach is based on reason and assures long term advantages not only for Pakistan but for the Arab states too. War is not a solution in any way. The fighting is already causing friction in other Muslim countries. Pakistan and Turkey's response is based on maturity and wisdom and the Arab states should give peace a chance and get rid of their hostile approach.