deploy troops coming from brotherly countries inside Saudi Arabia to ensure territorial security while the Saudi forces concentrate on Yemen. The idea is similar to the 1980s deployment of thousands of Pakistan troops in Saudi Arabia when the Iran-Iraq war threatened the security of the country.
Pakistan had also dispatched troops for the security of Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War against Saddam Hussein.Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was informed that a Chinese ship would be reaching Aden today (Wednesday) to evacuate 200 Pakistanis stranded in the city. He was told that the evacuees would either be dropped at Djibouti or Moqalla, where about 100 Pakistanis were already present, depending on the on-ground conditions of the area and the route that the Chinese ship was planning to follow.
Pakistan’s own naval ship that was dispatched on the directions of the prime minister, would reach Yemen tomorrow evening (Thursday) and bring the stranded people back to the country. Another frigate of Pakistan Navy has also been dispatched to the region.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was also informed that there were about 75 Pakistanis still residing in Sanaa, who would either be airlifted or taken to Moqalla.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also directed the relevant authorities to bring back the stranded Pakistanis from Yemen immediately. “We will evacuate the stranded Pakistanis from the war-torn country as soon as possible,” the premier assured while addressing a top-level meeting at the PM House here.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Nawaz was briefed on the current situation in Yemen and the status of the remaining Pakistani expatriates in Yemen.
The prime minister expressed satisfaction on the completion of the first phase of evacuation. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in a telephone call, made by Saudi King Salman last week offered “all potentials of the Pakistan Army”, the media quoted the Saudi Press Agency as saying.
Meantime, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was informed that Pakistanis returning from Yemen were highly appreciative of personal interest taken by him in ensuring their safe exit from the disturbed areas, treating it as a national priority.
The meeting reiterated that Pakistan held Saudi Arabia in a very high esteem and considers the security of the holy land of utmost importance adding that any violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Saudi Arabia would evoke a strong reaction from Pakistan, according to the aspirations of the people of Pakistan.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Finance Senator Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Adviser to PM on National Security Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to PM Syed Tariq Fatemi, Secretary to PM Javaid Aslam, Additional Secretary to the PM Fawad Hasan Fawad, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary and other senior officials.