Damage control

This refers to the viewpoint, ‘We need a Sahibzada Yaqub Khan today’ (April 12) by Shaheen Sehbai. The writer is right when he says that the Yemeni issue has been grossly mishandled and that we need an urgent damage control exercise along with a bailout strategy. There is no doubt that we have been enjoying extremely good relations with the Saudis for decades. We do not want to dent these relations which have now been soured by a crisis. But the statement issued by a UAE minister is beyond comprehension. It is both ironic and a matter of concern for us. Does the UAE minister not know the dangerous implications of our country jumping into the war theatre in Yemen?
The situation demands that both the PM and the army chief proceed to Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Tehran immediately to clarify matters and resolve the crisis. If this is not possible then the government should carefully choose a person of the stature of Sahibzada Yaqub Khan who can fly to these capitals and defuse the situation.
Air-Cdre (r) Azfar A Khan
Rawalpindi