Pak declines Saudi call for armed support in Yemen
CONCERN Pakistan parliament votes for neutrality as Saudi-led coalition targets Yemen’s biggest cities; first aid planes land in Sanaa as humanitarian concerns rise
ADEN: Pakistan’s parliament voted on Friday not to join the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen, dashing Riyadh’s hopes for powerful support from outside of the region in its fight to halt Iranianallied Houthi rebels.
Saudi Arabia had asked fellow Sunni-majority Pakistan to provide ships, aircraft and troops for the campaign, now in its third week, to stem the influence of Shia Iran in what appears to be proxy war between the Gulf ’s two dominant powers.
While Saudi Arabia has the support of its Sunni Gulf Arab neighbours, Pakistan’s parliament voted against becoming militarily involved.
It adopted a draft resolution calling on all sides to resolve their differences peacefully in a “deteriorating security and humanitarian situation” which has “implications for peace and stability of the region.” At the same time, it expressed “unequivocal support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” and promised to “stand shoulder to shoulder with Saudi Arabia and its people” if Saudi territory were violated.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition hit Yemen for a sixteenth straight day. In Sanaa, they targeted weapons storage sites used by soldiers loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, a powerful supporter of the Houthis.
Two planes carrying emergency medical aid landed in Sanaa on Friday, the first deliveries from international aid groups since the heavy fighting began. They were brought in by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations.