Pakistani Jihadists Pledge to Join Govt in Yemen War

By Jason Ditz

Banned Islamist factions have always been sort of a double-edged sword for Pakistan, which has to cope with constant wars against them in peacetime, but seems to usually find common ground with them during war.

That seems to be the case once again, as some jihadist groups have announced they’re joining the Saudi war against Yemen, taking the same path Pakistan’s government is.

While it’s weird to think of Taliban allies like Jamaat ud-Dawa fighting alongside Pakistani troops, these groups are often targeting Pakistan’s own Shi’ite minority, and are only too eager to join an international war led by Sunni power Saudi Arabia against Shi’ites in Yemen.

The influx of Sunni Islamists from the Indian subcontinent is likely to make the war even more overtly sectarian in nature, which will likely provoke a backlash from Yemen’s significant Shi’ite minority, above and beyond the ones already supporting the Houthis.