THURSDAY APRIL 23: The Yemen crisis: Prime Minister, army chief head for Riyadh today

ISLAMABAD: Prime minister will travel to Saudi Arabia to discuss the war in Yemen, his office said Wednesday, after the Saudi-led military coalition announced an end to air strikes against rebels. A statement from Nawaz Sharif's offce said he would make a one-day trip to Riyadh on Thursday, and welcomed the Saudi announcement of the end of the air attacks in Yemen.
Sharif will be joined by the army chief Raheel Sharif, defence minister Khawaja Asif and other senior officials. Pakistan has remained ostensibly neutral in the conflict which has pitted the forces of deposed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi against Hothi rebels, whom Riyadh says are backed by Iran. Sharif's trip is seen by some analysts as intended to pacify the Saudi royal family, with whom he has close personal ties after they sheltered him during his years in exile.
BR staff reporter Ali Hussain adds: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is leaving for Saudi Arabia today (Thursday) along with a high-level delegation that includes Army Chief General Raheel Sharif to discuss the evolving situation in Yemen with the Saudi leadership. Other members of the delegation include Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif, Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry.
According to the media office of the Prime Minister, it was decided in a high-level meeting, chaired by Prime Minister that he would undertake a one-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday to discuss the evolving situation in Yemen and express solidarity with the people and leadership of the Kingdom. The Prime Minister also welcomed the Saudi announcement of halting its air strikes in Yemen and entering the phase of political dialogue. The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Prime Minister's Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi and Secretary Foreign Affairs Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry.
This will be Prime Minister's second visit to the Saudi Arabia in two months. He travelled to the Kingdom on March 03, 2015 where he was received by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud along with his entire cabinet at King Khalid International Airport and a formal request was forwarded to join the 10-member coalition in the campaign. "Pakistan welcomes the announcement by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the end of air campaign in Yemen. This will pave the way for political solution of the crisis in Yemen," said Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam, adding Pakistan shares the desire of Saudi Arabia for peaceful settlement of the crisis. A delegation led by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif as a special envoy of the Prime Minister to pacify the royal family did not succeed, analysts maintain, which is why the country's top political and military leadership has scheduled a visit with the objective of appeasing Saudi anger.