- PPP’s Zardari expresses concern over safety of Pakistani expats working in KSA, other gulf countries
- MQM’s Farooq Sattar says govt ‘flying solo’ on issue
Opposition parties on Wednesday called for the government to convene an all-party conference (APC) and joint sitting of the Parliament to discuss the Yemen crisis.
In this connection, leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar, Rashid Mahmood Soomro of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and BNP-A leader Israrullah Zehir attended a meeting, presided over by PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, at Bilawal House in Karachi.
According to a joint statement, opposition parties expressed concerns over the recent developments, saying the stability and integrity of Gulf and all countries in the Middle East was of paramount importance and called for resolving the present crisis through dialogue and negotiations.
Besides calling for an APC and joint session of the Parliament, the meeting expressed firm belief that the centrality of Saudi Arabia was pivotal for the Muslims and that our response should reflect this belief.
The meeting also stated that the gravity of the situation demanded that no one individual should take any unilateral decision without broad-based discussion and consultation with all political parties and stakeholders.
Speaking to reporters, the PPP co-chief said that 1.5 million Pakistanis were working in Saudi Arabia and 500,000 were in other Gulf countries. He said that PPP always stressed on the need for dialogue. “The security of all Gulf countries is important for us,” he said.
Moreover, MQM leader Farooq Sattar said that the government was “flying solo” on the issue. The whole nation is concerned about the alarming situation and all concerns need to be addressed, he added.