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Will Pakistan change its mind?

Friends must come together against a common foe

As the Saudi Arabia-led military coalition pounds Yemen’s Houthi rebels from the air, it is becoming increasingly that Iran’s expansionist agenda in the region will make it difficult to sit down for talks. The GCC and Arab nations are backed by the Arab League and the UN and expect like-minded nations like Pakistan on their side in the fight against an ideology that threatens peace in the Middle East.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called for talks between the GCC and the Houthis, which are unlikely to happen because of Iran’s active influence on the ground through its Revolutionary Guards.

The GCC countries have been Yemen’s largest backers, pumping in billions in aid in recent years. They stood behind its people who rose up against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who still wields clout as witnessed in his dark alliance with the Houthis.

Pakistan’s Parliament may have taken a neutral stand while stating that it would come to the aid of Saudi Arabia if its security was threatened. Riyadh now faces a threat to its security with 300 Scud missiles launchers on Yemen’s border with Saudi Arabia.

Reliable sources also told this writer that 5,000 Iranian and Hezbollah experts are working to destabilise the Kingdom.

Will this prompt Islamabad to join the fight against the Houthi rebels, or will they still stay neutral when an partner’s security is at stake?

The UAE has been hurt by Pakistani inaction which could have been influenced by economics and Iran’s plan to extend a natural gas pipeline to sell it the gas for an attractive price. The Pakistan Parliament vote to stay away from a fight on the side of an ally follows its controversial Expo 2020 two years ago vote which went to Turkey.

Pakistan has been the UAE’s friend and a partner for decades. The UAE, like other GCC countries, has assisted with humanitarian aid. It has paved new roads, built hospitals, and pledged hundreds of millions of dollars ,while expecting nothing in return. Projects worth $300.3million have been built in Pakistan with UAE aid.

Relations between UAE and Pakistan are stronger than ever. The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has said bilateral relations are ‘excellent and growing’ between the two countries.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said the UAE is one of the ‘‘important’’ countries that supports Pakistan at different levels. He has thanked the leadership for helping his country face challenges, and added the relationship enjoyed a ‘special status’.

The UAE was among the founding countries of Democratic Friends of Pakistan Group in 2008, a forum established to discuss the economic and development policies of Pakistan,

Non-oil trade, excluding trade through free zones, between the UAE and Pakistan stood at more than Dh 1.9 billion. Currently, 7,000 Pakistani companies and 12 trade agencies operate out of the UAE.

Islamabad’s decision not to join the campaign will, however, not change the situation the ground in Yemen. Pakistan’s armed forces would have been effective in the event of a ground campaign against the Houthis.

Pakistan and the GCC must clear the air and diplomacy must prevail. Special relationships should never be allowed to fail. The GCC and Pakistan should keep talking to prevent Iran from gaining ground and sow seeds of discord.

It is in Pakistan’s interest to fight a common foe, an Iranian proxy in Yemen. Terror knows no boundaries. Who knows? Islamabad can still change its mind on Yemen.

 Mustafa Al Zarooni is City Editor of Khaleej Times