ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Saturday avoided reacting to remarks by a UAE minister following the resolution adopted during the parliament’s joint session that stressed the need for neutrality on Islamabad’s part in the Yemen conflict.

The resolution, which expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia but insisted on remaining neutral in the dispute, apparently riled the Emirati leadership, which is already said to be displeased with Pakistan over some bilateral matters.

“We don’t have any confirmation of what exactly has been said and by whom. I have no comments,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said when asked to comment on the statement by the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash.

Dr Gargash, a western-educated man, has held a number of important positions in the UAE government. In a series of messages (in Arabic) sent from his verified account on the social networking site, Twitter, he said the Pakistani parliament’s decision to opt for neutrality in the Yemen conflict would cost the country ‘heavily’.

Pakistan could have to pay a ‘heavy price’ for its stand on Yemen conflict: Gargash

In his tweets, Mr Gargash singled out Pakistan and Turkey, saying that it seemed that Iran seemed more important to them, even though they relied on investment from the Arab states.

“The vague and contradictory stands of Pakistan and Turkey are an absolute proof that Arab security — from Libya to Yemen — is the responsibility of none but Arab countries,” the Khaleej Times quoted him as having tweeted.

Talking to the Khaleej Times, the UAE minister said he meant to warn Pakistan that it could have to pay a “heavy price” for its “ambiguous stand”.

He had tweeted that parliament’s decision, which calls for neutrality on Yemen and yet expresses genuine support for Saudi Arabia, is contradictory and unexpected from Islamabad.

The newspaper quoted the minister as saying: “The Arabian Gulf is in a dangerous confrontation, its strategic security is on the edge, and the moment of truth distinguishes between the real ally and the ally of media and statements.”

Background

The reaction from UAE is by no means spontaneous and reflects Abu Dhabi’s underlying grievances with Islamabad.

Diplomatic officials told Dawn in background discussions that the UAE was unhappy over the non-issuance of permits for hunting of the endangered Houbara Bustard, and was further annoyed by growing ties between Pakistan and Qatar, which has recently had frayed relations with the rest of the Arab world.

Moreover, the fact that Pakistan did not vote for UAE in its bid to host the Expo 2020 was viewed with deep concern, even though Dubai went on to win the rights to host the event anyway. On that occasion, Islamabad was branded ‘an unreliable ally’.

When UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Islamabad back in November 2013, he too called for removing “irritants” in the relationship.

Political Reaction

Mr Gargash’s tweets, which were immediately picked up by the local media, drew a strong reaction from Pakistani politicians.

Most notable was JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s response. He went as far as to accuse the UAE of fomenting unrest in Balochistan and Karachi.

“I regret the statement by UAE on Pakistan’s role in Yemen. The UAE has been found to have footprints in destabilising Balochistan and Karachi to save Dubai,” he said.

ANP leader Afrasiab Khattak, meanwhile, called for increased self-reliance to avoid such ‘humiliation’.

“Self-dependence is needed to become a truly independent country so that a sheikhdom like UAE does not address us as a big power addresses a satellite,” he tweeted.

But the angry comments from the UAE cabinet official rang alarm bells in official corridors, which now fear a backlash to the parliamentary resolution from Arab countries. Several ministers even reiterated their commitment to Saudi security on Saturday.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who had read out the resolution on Friday, said Pakistan would protect Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity. “The sovereignty of Haramain Sharifain is very dear to the entire nation,” he said at a ceremony at the Islamabad Club Polo Ground.

Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Mohammad Yousaf, speaking at a conference in Islamabad, said Pakistan would never compromise on the defence of Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The PML-N’s information secretary and Minister for Climate Change, Senator Mushahidullah Khan, had said a day earlier: “Our troops are already present in Tabuk and some other cities of Saudi Arabia.”

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2015

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