A high-level Pakistani delegation today arrived in Riyadh to decide whether to accept Saudi Arabia's request to send troops for a coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels, as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif warned of a "strong reaction" if Saudi sovereignty is breached.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif is leading the powerful delegation that includes Prime Minister's Advisor for Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and military officials.
They will hold talks with the kingdom's leadership after it requested troops to bolster a Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels, officials said.
According to a government official, a special plane took the delegation to Saudi Arabia for discussion.
"The delegation will discuss the issue of Yemen with top Saudi officials and will report back to the government," he said.
The issue of deploying troops will be taken in consultation with army and political parties, he added.
Pakistan "considers the security of the holy land of utmost importance," Sharif's office said in a statement today.
"Any violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Saudi Arabia would evoke a strong reaction from Pakistan," it added.
Last week, the Saudi government approached Pakistan with a request to provide troops in support of its operation in Yemen where Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels have taken control of the country.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had said a delegation will be sent to see the security situation on ground before deciding whether to send the troops.
Asif had told Parliament that Pakistan was committed to the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia and so far, no decision has been taken to become part of Yemen conflict.
There is widespread opposition to Pakistan joining the war in Yemen, and several politicians and retired army officers have cautioned the government to avoid becoming part of a conflict which has sectarian faultlines and can create domestic troubles.
Pakistan has about 300 troops already in Saudi Arabia currently taking part in joint exercise with Saudi troops. Pakistan Army said yesterday that they were not on 'operational deployment'.
The Saudi-led military coalition is conducting airstrikes against the Houthi rebels' southward advance on the port city of Aden, the last bastion of Saudi-backed president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
The country enjoys close ties with Saudi Arabia but it has also equally good relations with neighbouring Iran which has criticised the Saudi intervention in Yemen.
Pakistan needs to weigh the relations with both these countries and decide.
