In a situation where Pakistan can stand up to its potential
Pakistan is the only Muslim country that can be accepted by the Gulf governments as an honest broker for mediation in the Yemen issue. This is because Islamabad has never meddled in their disputes while it has promptly responded whenever called for help from the days of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to recent times. With Pakistan’s relations improving with Washington, Islamabad’s offer for mediation would also be welcomed by the US. Nawaz Sharif has rightly concluded from the debate in Parliament that the nation wants a resolution of the crisis through diplomacy. Sartaj Aziz was equally spot-on when he noted the consensus in Parliament against military intervention. What the Prime Minister needs to do now is to persuade the Saudis that it is in their interest to avoid any adventurism. Pakistan has enough clout with Riyadh to assure it that the kingdom’s genuine interests would be safeguarded if it agrees to a peaceful solution worked out by Pakistan.
The Yemen conundrum is a hard nut to crack. But for a politician, who is PM for the third time in a country where governments are required to deal with political parties itching for no-holds-barred fights and with blood thirsty terrorist networks, the challenge should not look insurmountable. Once he has taken the lead in conciliation efforts, Sharif can seek the help of other Muslim countries including Turkey, Iran, Oman, Malaysia and Indonesia. Iran’s four point formula — ceasefire, humanitarian assistance, intra-Yemeni dialogue and broad-based government — is only slightly different from the one envisaged by Sartaj Aziz. The latter requires the involvement of the UN and fears that an immediate ceasefire would consolidate the existing ground position. These issues too can be resolved during the negotiations with the warring sides in Yemen. But unless an immediate ceasefire is in place, the humanitarian crisis would continue to worsen in Yemen.
It would be a brilliant stroke of policy on Sharif’s part to take the initiative. It remains to be seen if he possesses the capacity to seize the hour.
