AhlulBayt News Agency: Pakistan should not become a party to the war in Yemen but should instead play an active role in mediation and efforts to secure peace, said Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, head of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
Addressing the “Martyrs of Resistance and Renewal of Commitment Conference,” organised by Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan, Jafri said that Pakistan’s Parliament had unanimously decided in 2015 that the country would not become involved in the Yemen conflict or send its troops there. Reversing that decision under the present circumstances, he argued, would run counter to Pakistan’s national interests, sovereignty and public sentiment.
He said Yemen had offered Pakistan an opportunity to play a mediating role. Jafri added that he had written to the prime minister, drawing attention to the sensitivity of the issue. He also questioned the foreign minister over how Pakistan could act as a mediator while appearing to become a party to the conflict itself.
“Pakistan should contribute to a ceasefire, negotiations and peace rather than becoming involved in a war against a Muslim country,” he said, urging the government to explain who had authorised the country’s involvement and to prevent Pakistan from being drawn further into the conflict.
Jafri said the people of Yemen were being punished for supporting the Palestinian cause and speaking out against Israeli aggression. He praised Yemen’s expressions of solidarity with the people of Gaza and its opposition to Israeli interests, expressing support for the Yemeni population and condemning abuses against them, regardless of the power responsible. He stressed that Pakistan’s foreign policy should not be subordinated to the interests of another state.
The opposition leader also condemned what he described as US and Israeli aggression against Iran. Referring to attacks on Iran and the killing of its martyred leader, he said those responsible had apparently expected that targeting the country’s leadership would frighten the Iranian people and force them to surrender within hours. That calculation, he said, had proved mistaken.
Jafri argued that history showed how major powers and empires could decline because of arrogance, flawed strategies and miscalculations. He praised Iran for what he described as its courage, wisdom and resilience, adding that support for Palestinians and resistance to Israeli dominance in the region were matters of principle.
He warned that alleged US and Israeli plans to reshape the region’s political and geographical landscape, divide countries and eliminate resistance movements posed a serious threat to regional peace. The conflict, he said, was not limited to Iran but had implications for the future of the entire region, the Palestinian issue and the collective interests of the Muslim world.
Pakistan, he stressed, should make independent decisions on foreign policy rather than risk its sovereignty and national dignity to win the favour of global powers.
Jafri also criticised the government’s approach to international diplomacy, saying that excessive praise of powerful leaders amounted to flattery rather than effective diplomacy. He described unnecessary expressions of admiration for leaders such as US President Donald Trump, including efforts to secure a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, as damaging to national dignity. Respect in the international community, he said, came from self-respect, principled positions and the protection of national interests.
Turning to Pakistan’s domestic situation, Jafri said the country belonged to its people and was not the property of any individual, institution, elite group or political mafia. He described Pakistan as the shared homeland of Baloch, Sindhi, Punjabi and Pashtun communities, as well as the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir and all other citizens.
He said the state should act like a mother by protecting the lives, property, dignity and rights of its citizens rather than confronting its own people.
Expressing concern over the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Kashmir and other parts of the country, he said the use of state force could not resolve disputes over public rights, political freedoms and fundamental human rights. Instead, he called for dialogue, justice and trust between the state and citizens, warning that coercive measures and political victimisation would deepen divisions.
Jafri also called for former prime minister Imran Khan to be given an opportunity to contribute to public confidence and national reconciliation. Describing Khan as a significant political figure who retained the trust of a large section of the population, he said leaders enjoying public confidence should be taken into account when addressing the problems of deprived regions, including Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
No government, he argued, could remain stable without public trust. Nuclear capability, military strength and coercion could not serve as substitutes for popular support.
Other speakers at the conference included Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan Vice Chairman Allama Syed Ahmed Iqbal Rizvi, Chief Organiser Syed Nasir Abbas Shirazi and Central Secretary for Political Affairs Syed Asad Abbas Naqvi, along with other national and provincial leaders and representatives from various walks of life.
The speakers paid tribute to those killed in the resistance movements and reaffirmed their solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine and Yemen. They also called for the protection of national sovereignty, unity among Muslim countries and the supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law.
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