Pakistan will prefer to play role of mediator in Yemen conflict: Asif

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Tuesday that the government’s first preference would be to play the role of a mediator in resolving the crisis in Yemen.

“If the sanctity of Saudi Arabia’s territorial boundaries is violated, we will stand with them,” he said.

He assured that the government’s policy was in line with the military's perspective on the issue.

He said that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have decades-old defence agreements, and Pakistan will continue honouring those agreements.

“But I reiterate that Pakistan’s national interest is paramount,” he added.

Speaking about the political debate and sloganeering that took place in Parliament during the first day of the joint session, Asif said that his outburst against PTI lawmakers was not ‘planned’.

“In the morning session, I kept stopping our (PML-N) youngsters urging them not to make noise. But then when Imran Khan came out and the language he used in his press conference, I think it was very inappropriate,” he said.

“You have returned to the assemblies but you are still calling it a product of rigging. You have agreed on the judicial commission, but you are still using the same language,” he said, referring to the press conference by Imran Khan on Monday.

Asif also said that, with the PTI lawmakers having a physical presence in parliament again, the NA Speaker should have asked them to clarify if they have resigned from their seats or not.