KARACHI: Main opposition parties Wednesday called on the prime minister to convene an all-party conference and refrain from making a unilateral decision on joining the Saudi-led coalition fighting Huthi rebels in Yemen. The call came as the parties met at the residence of former president Asif Zardari, also the head of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), to discuss the situation.
"The meeting expressed the firm belief that the centrality of Saudi Arabia was pivotal for the Muslims of the world and that our response should reflect this belief," a joint communique issued after the meeting said.
But the parties demanded the government only make a decision after hearing other voices on the matter.
"The meeting demanded of the government to immediately convene all parties conference and joint session of the parliament to take the nation into confidence and to propose a way forward," said the communique read out by Sherry Rehman, a former ambassador to the US. The heads of all the major political parties attended the meeting, which also advised Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif to refrain from taking any decision on his own.
"The gravity of the issue demanded that no individual should take any unilateral decision without a broad based discussion and consultation with all political parties and stake holders," the communique said.
Leaders of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali, Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) Dr Farooq Sattar, Rashid Mahmood Soomro of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) and BNP-A leader Israrullah Zehri attended the meeting, which was held at the Bilawal House in Karachi.