UAE Minister to Pakistan: ‘You Need to Take a Clear Stance on War in Yemen or Else’ · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

“Picturesque scene of Sana'a until you realize those are anti aircraft weapons zipping through the sky. #Yemen” tweets Yemeni blogger @amelscript, who shares this photograph on Twitter
Pakistan came under fire for refusing to send its troops to fight in the Saudi-led war on Yemen.
Taking to Twitter, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash criticised Pakistan for not standing with the Arabian Gulf in its hour of need. He said that at the time Gulf investment was welcome in Pakistan, Pakistanis are not supporting Gulf Arab countries in its war on Yemen.
He tweeted to his 120K followers:
قرار البرلمان الباكستاني و الذي ينص علي (الحياد في الصراع اليمني) و يعرب (عن دعمه الصريح للسعودية) متناقض و خطير و غير متوقع من اسلام أباد.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) April 10, 2015
The Pakistani parliament's decision which states Pakistan's neutrality in the Yemen conflict while stating its support to Saudi Arabia is contradictory, dangerous and unexpected from Islamabad
The Pakistani parliament voted on Friday that Pakistan would not take part in the military intervention in Yemen, now in its third week.
Hundreds of people have been reportedly killed in fighting in Yemen since Saudi Arabia launched the military campaign against the country on March 26. Backed by its Gulf Arab allies, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Turkey and Sudan, Saudi Arabia started an airstrike operation, dubbed Decisive Storm, against Houthi fighters who took control of Yemen in January.
In another tweet, Gargash says:
الخليج العربي في مواجهة خطيرة و مصيرية و أمنه الإستراتيجي علي المحك، ولحظة الحقيقة هذه تميز الحليف الحقيقي من حليف الاعلام والتصريحات.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) April 10, 2015
The Arabian Gulf is in a dangerous and decisive situation and its strategic security is at stake. This moment of truth distinguishes between the real ally and the ally who is only there in the media and through statements
In a threatening tweet, Gargash adds:
باكستان مطالبة بموقف واضح لصالح علاقاتها الاستراتيجية مع دول الخليج العربي، المواقف المتناقضة و الملتبسة في هذا الامر المصيري تكلفتها عالية.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) April 10, 2015
Pakistan is required to take a clear stance for the benefit of its strategic relations with Arab Gulf states. Such contradictory and ambiguous stances in this crucial matter will have a high cost
Yet another tweet alludes that Pakistan is siding with Iran in the war in Yemen:
يبدو ان أهمية طهران لاسلام أباد و انقرة يفوق أهمية دول الخليج، بعدنا الاقتصادي و الاستثماري مطلوب، و يغيب الدعم السياسي في اللحظة الحرجة.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) April 10, 2015
It seems that the importance of Iran to Islamabad and Ankara exceeds the importance of the Gulf states. Our economic and investment support is required but their political support is absent at the crucial moment
And while Ankara has voiced its support for the war on Yemen, Turkey has not been directly involved in the operations, offering its ability to provide logistic and intelligence support instead of troops.
However, many came to the support of Pakistan in its decision. Egyptian Ahmed Khalil tweets to his 77K followers:
باكستان رفضت الاشتراك في العدوان على اليمن ، نامل ان يرفض الجيش المصرى الاشتراك فى العدوان ، جيشنا للدفاع عن حدودنا فقط
— Ahmad (@ahmad_khalil) April 10, 2015
Pakistan refused to take part in the war on Yemen. We hope that our Egyptian army refuses to take part in the war. Our army is to protect our boundaries only.
Bahraini columnist Kassim Hussain says the situation is getting “complicated”:
#bahrain: من اخبارالجمعة:برلمان باكستان يمتنع عن تأييد الحرب باليمن ويدعو للحياد والسعودية تمنع طائرة باكستانية من دخول اراضيها.الامورتتعقد
— قاسم حسين (@kassimhussain1) April 10, 2015
Pakistan's parliament refuses to support the war on Yemen and calls for neutrality and Saudi Arabia prevents a Pakistani airline from entering its territory. It's getting complicated
And Fouad Ibrahim, with 20.8K followers on Twitter, wonders:
هل بدأ ال سعود يفقدون صوابهم..اليوم منعوا طائرة باكستانية تقل معتمرين بحجة “الحفاظ على سلامة الأجواء”.. تعاقب باكستان لرفض الانخراط في الحرب
— fouad Ibrahim (@fuadibrahim2011) April 10, 2015
Have the Al Saud started to lose their senses? Today they prevented a Pakistani plane with pilgrims under the pretext of “protecting the safety of airspace.” Pakistan is being punished for refusing to take part in the war
According to Pakistani daily Dawn, “a Pakistani airline passenger aircraft was barred from entering Saudi airspace Friday on the grounds that the airline did not have the required documents.”