WE should avoid involving ourselves in armed conflicts. On the Yemen issue there should be well-thought-out discussions at all levels before making a decision. Saudi Arabia and Iran, involved in the dispute, have intimate relations with Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia has been helpful to Pakistan, so has been Iran in 1965 and 71 wars. In this conflict sensitive sectarian issues are also involved. Defending Saudi Arabia if it is attacked is a different issue than getting involved in armed conflict on Yemen`s soil.
Pakistan should try its best to bring reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. We should learn lessons from our history. In 1953, dictators, led by GoverorGeneral Ghulam Mohammad, captured power and eliminated the legitimate political leadership, and joined the US-led Western defence pacts against the Soviet Union, which brought all the disasters and chaos which we are facing till now.
Earlier prime ministers Liaquat Ali Khan and Khwaja Nazimuddin had declined to join the pacts. We suffered even in the Kashmir dispute due to the vetoing of the Kashmir resolution by the Soviet Union, which was earlier supported by them.
Americans flew U2 reconnaissance airplanes from Pakistan bases over the Soviet territory. At that time Pakistan was not involved in decision-making.
Dictators created illegitimate political parties and politicians who are still playing havoc with the nation. They should not be allowed to act as dictators. The decisions should be arrived at by democratic methods of transparent discussion, keeping the interests of the nation above everything else.
