KARACHI: Pakistan’s involvement in the Yemen crisis was the subject of a heated debate at the Karachi Press Club on Friday, both within its premises and outside.

At one end of the spectrum were demands by rights groups addressing a press conference to observe restraint, to not become embroiled in a war that can potentially have serious repercussions for those involved. The other extreme, holding banners and shouting slogans outside, believes it their duty to be saviours and help the House of Saud. The voice of reason is almost always thrown to the wind and the spectacle that greeted at the press club strengthened this point.

The conference was organised by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the Women’s Action Forum (WAF). The atmosphere was muted, cautious and the message at times inaudible due to the significant turnout shouting slogans outside the premises at a demonstration organised by the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat in support of the Saudi cause. Anis Haroon of the WAF was clearly perturbed with this, yet remained composed. “It is the responsibility of the Pakistan army to safeguard our borders and deal with the crises we face within. It is not our mandate to safeguard other nations,” she emphasised.

Instead of instigating this conflict further, she said, “we must adopt a conciliatory approach, to pacify and reconcile both sides.”

Tackling concerns that holy sites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may be under threat, both the JAC and WAF disagreed with this probability. “These sites are sacred for both countries and so this argument should not be an incentive for Pakistan to get involved,” elaborated Ms Haroon. “Our defence budget is a fraction of Saudi Arabia’s. So why must we further put strain on ourselves,” she questioned. With the prospect of sending Pakistani soldiers to the conflict zone, “the collateral will be ours to bear, be it financial or more importantly with regards to the well-being of our men,” she added.

A parliamentary session has been belatedly called to discuss this conflict, “but will it result in a proactive decision is to be seen, considering our prime minister considers himself a part of the Saudi family,” said Haroon.

Representative of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Asad Iqbal Butt said the rhetoric of this war, and the emotions it aroused in people not remotely knowledgeable about its particulars, was very similar to student politics in colleges and universities. “This conflict involves real people and lives are at stake,” he added.

Farhat Parveen of the JAC took the debate forward and demanded that the UN Security Council, whose job was to help member countries make peace with each other, take immediate action to issue a ceasefire and stop the unnecessary loss of lives.

“Why has this issue not been addressed till now and why are other nation states being dragged into this conflict,” she asked.

A country’s civil war evoked air strikes from Saudi Arabia was an unprecedented move and action must be taken to halt this, she added.

Dr Riaz Ahmed Shaikh highlighted on how Saudi Arabia wished to avoid another Arab Spring that saw traditional autocratic governments being overthrown by the force of its people. “These attacks are merely a pre-emptive measure to mitigate and control another potential Arab Spring within and immediately outside its borders,” he elaborated.

The message conveyed by representatives of the JAC and WAF was the necessity to not strengthen sectarian fault lines and acknowledge that being part of this conflict is “international aggression against Yemen, a country which has no quarrel with Pakistan.”

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2015

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