Negotiations with Houthis in Yemen urged

Islamabad
The only way out of the current crisis in Yemen is to hold negotiations with the Houthis in Yemen itself, said Raza Naeem, assistant professor at the School of Governance and Society, University of Management and Technology, Lahore.
He was addressing a seminar on ‘Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's Geo-Political Crisis: the Problems, the Opportunities and the Road Forward’ organised by the Centre for Research in Security Studies (CRSS).
Raza Naeem said it would prevent the region from descending into a protracted war. He said the national dialogue in Yemen failed because it had degenerated into a Saudi-American construct. The unrest in Yemen is the result of the socio-economic disparities that historically existed between the north and the south, despite the south being an inclusive democracy, he said.
Usman Butt, executive director of the London-based Institute for Islamic Strategic Affairs, observed that the war in Yemen for all practical reasons had become a sectarian conflict with multiple competing interests playing out there.
He also advised Pakistan against isolating itself in the region. Pakistan being an important leader should reach out to both Iran and Saudi Arabia and play a pro-active role rather than isolating itself, he said.
The participants of the discussion agreed that military option provides no solution to similar situation. Nor should any party dream of talking from the position of strength, they said. This logic is flawed and has often failed.
All parties must be open to careful and quiet talks rather than placing conditions on the others, said Gen (r) Asad Durrani.
Participants, however, cautioned Pakistan not to get embroiled in the regional regime security interests.