Pakistan not taking part in war

ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday denied its fighter jets are taking part in the Saudi-led operation in Yemen and declared that any decision to become part of the war will be taken after a visit of a high level delegation to Riyadh, which is due in the next 48 hours.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, in a late Saturday night media briefing,

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rejected media reports as baseless that Pakistan is actively taking part in the ongoing operation in Yemen with its 15 fighter jets being engaged in an offensive against the Houthi rebels.

+IBw-These are all speculations and these reports have no credibility. The fact is that our leadership is in constant contact with the Saudi leadership and a high-level delegation is also due to reach Riyadh in the next 24 to 48 hours to assess the situation,+IB0- he said, reiterating Pakistan+IBk-s commitment to the security and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia, as pledged by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during a telephonic conversation earlier in the day.

He said the Prime Minister, in his conversation with the Saudi King, conveyed that security and protection of the Saudi territorial integrity is very important for Pakistan and that Pakistan is ready to send its troops if the situation poses any threat to Saudi Arabia+IBk-s territorial integrity.

However, he stated that any such decision would be taken after the visit of a high-level delegation comprising Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, PM+IBk-S Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Satraj Aziz and representatives of the armed forces. He further said that as per the statement of the Defence Minister in National Assembly, the parliament would also be taken into confidence on any such decision.

To a question, he also rejected the impression that Pakistani troops are on ground to carry out any combat mission, saying under a defence cooperation agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Pakistani troops are stationed there for imparting training to the Saudi troops. Similarly, the Saudi troops are also getting training in Pakistan under this cooperation.

At present, he said the top priority of the government is to ensure safe exit of the stranded Pakistanis from a war-torn Yemen for which the government of Pakistan is in contact with all the countries including Saudi Arabia.

He said that all preparations have been made to safely bring back Pakistanis stranded in Yemen, and that the government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring the safety of our people.

The foreign secretary said that a special PIA plane is ready to leave for Yemen to bring back the first batch of Pakistanis. He said that a convoy of 600 Pakistanis is currently on its way to Hudaidah form where they will be airlifted to Pakistan.

He pointed out that since Saudi Arabia has declared a no-fly zone and Pakistan is in contact with Saudi authorities to ensure safe air route for the PIA fights. He said that Pakistan defence minister also spoke with his Saudi counterpart and urged the latter to cooperate in evacuation of the Pakistanis. +IBw-At present we are waiting for the turmoil to subside so that we could be able to safely evacuate Pakistani people,+IB0- he said.

He said that a Pakistan Navy ship will also leave for Yemen via the Red Sea on Sunday to take part in the evacuation operation while another ship will be leaving on Monday.

He said the situation in Yemen is turning bad and it+IBk-s our priority to safely evacuate our people. Currently, there are around 3,000 Pakistanis residing in Yemen, of which around 1,000 are trying to leave the country and come back to Pakistan, he added.

He said people living in Yemen are vulnerable to all sorts of crimes, including kidnapping as the state system there has collapsed.

Aizaz Chaudhry further said that Pakistan is also in contact with Oman to ensure evacuation of some Pakistanis to that country. He said that Pakistan embassy in Sana+IBk-a had already advised its citizens to think about leaving the country prior to the deterioration of the situation.