Sharif promises to protect Saudi’s ‘territorial integrity’

Islamabad, April 24 

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to protect close ally Saudi Arabia’s “territorial integrity” after Pakistan’s parliament refused to send troops to help a Saudi-led coalition in strife-torn Yemen.

Sharif, who travelled to Saudi Arabia with a powerful delegation, including army chief General Raheel Sharif and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, met King Salman and other top government officials yesterday during his day-long trip.

During the meeting, Sharif expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reiterated his commitments to defend the kingdom’s territorial integrity.

“Prime Minister Sharif reiterated that any aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity will evoke a strong response from Pakistan,” foreign office spokesperson said today.

Pakistan has expressed to the Saudi leadership its deep concern at the increasing threats to regional peace and stability in the Gulf region and emphasised that there was a dire need to ensure that the region did not get further destabilised by terrorist groups and other non-state actors.

“It was underscored that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a policy imperative for Pakistan. Pakistan could not remain a bystander against efforts to destabilise the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the spokesperson said.

King Salman and Sharif expressed satisfaction at the talks and reiterated their commitment to further boost bilateral relations, the official said, adding Sharif reiterated his invitation to Saudi monarch to visit Pakistan at the earliest.

Saudi Arabia had asked Pakistan for military assistance, including ground troops, fighter jets and navy vessels to join the coalition forces in the war in Yemen.

However, the Pakistani parliament unanimously approved a resolution calling for maintaining neutrality during the conflict in Yemen, annoying Saudi leaders.

Sharif’s visit comes about a week after his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif led a delegation to Riyadh but failed to mend ties soured after Pakistan’s denial to commit troops. Later, Sharif met Yemen’s embattled President Mansoor-al-Hadi, who is at present living in Riyadh.

Pakistan condemned the violent overthrow of the legitimate government of Yemen by Houthi rebels and said it was not only the responsibility of the Saudi-led coalition to defeat the rebels but that of the entire international community. — PTI