Summary Pakistan awaiting details to decide extent of participation in different activities of alliance
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Spokesman of Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday that Pakistan is happy to be the part of military alliance of 34 Muslim countries to fight against terrorism, reported Dunya News.
According to statement the Foreign Office, Pakistan welcomes the formation of the 34-nation alliance to counter terrorism and is awaiting further details to decide the extent of its participation in different activities of the alliance. FO spokesman said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have brotherly relations and the mutual efforts against terrorism will be continued in the future.
It would be recalled that the 42nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Kuwait this year had reiterated its commitment to relevant UN and OIC resolutions on combating terrorism and extremism and called for joining regional and international efforts to fight terrorism and extremist mindset. It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan was not aware of being part of the said alliance until Tuesday when Saudi Arabia announced the names of the 34 allies, including Pakistan. Saudi Arabia has done the same in past when the name of Pakistan was mentioned as Saudi ally against Yemen without consulting Pakistan.
Also read: Saudi Arabia announces Pakistan as part of military alliance, FO clueless
Foreign Office of Pakistan contacted Pakistan ambassador in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and seek report on the issue of Pakistan’s name being announced as part of 34 Muslim countries’ military alliance against terrorism, reported Dunya News.
According to details, Saudi Arabia announced the military alliance of 34 Muslim countries to join forces against terrorism. Pakistan’s name was mentioned once again by Saudi Arabia while Pakistan foreign office was clueless about the whole thing. Foreign office contacted Pakistani ambassador in Riyadh and demanded a report on the issue. It is worth mentioning here that Saudi Arabia has announced Pakistan’s name in past as well as an ally against Yemen.
Also read: Saudi Arabia says Egypt, Pakistan joining Yemen operation
Saudi Arabia said Thursday that five Muslim countries including Egypt and Pakistan want to participate in the Gulf-led military coalition against Houthi rebels who have seized large swathes of Yemen.
Together with Jordan, Morocco and Sudan, they have "expressed desire to participate in the operation" against the rebels, which the kingdom dubbed "Firmness Storm", Saudi SPA state news agency said.
Saudi Arabia and four other Gulf states, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, announced earlier a decision to "answer the call of President Hadi to protect Yemen and his people from the aggression of the Houthi militia."
The kingdom`s ambassador to the United States announced from Washington that a coalition of 10 countries, including the five Gulf monarchies, had been set up to protect the Yemeni government.
Adel al-Jubeir did not name other members of the coalition.
The United States said it would provide "logistical and intelligence support" to the operation.
Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel said the UAE sent 30 jet fighters to Saudi Arabia to take part in the air strikes, while Jordan will be participating with six aircraft.
The channel also said that Egypt and Pakistan would dispatch jet fighters and warships to take part in the campaign.
Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi had urged Arab countries to intervene militarily as anti-government forces closed in on the southern city of Aden, where he had taken refuge.
Yemen has been gripped by growing turmoil since the Shiite Huthi rebels overran the capital Sanaa in September.
