Yemen war not to affect our ties with Pakistan, Iran: Saudi adviser

ISLAMABAD: The Saudi Adviser on Religious Affairs, Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al Ammar, has stated that brotherly relations of Saudi Arabia with Pakistan and Iran would not be affected due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
Talking to a group of newsmen here at Maktab and Daawa office of Saudi Arabia, the visiting senior Saudi official said that both Pakistan and Iran were their brotherly Muslim countries.However, Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al Ammar said that there had been a misunderstanding that Saudi Arabia had interfered in Yemen. “It should be clear that Saudi Arabia came forward to support Yemen on the request of the legitimate government which was removed,” he said.
The Saudi official reiterated that they were not in a war with Yemen, rather they were against a rebellious group which was getting support from outside and had raised arms against a legal government.
He said that since the start of action by Saudi Arabia and its allies against the rebels in Yemen, smuggling of arms to Yemen had stopped. “Our point of view is that the legitimate government in Yemen should be allowed to function,” Al Ammar emphasised.
He said the decision to launch a strike on rebels inside Yemen was taken by the Gulf Cooperation Council. “The recent resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council has also supported our stand and it will also pave the way for our friendly countries to come out of confusion,” he said.
He maintained that Saudi Arabia was not supporting or patronising any particular sect inside Pakistan, saying that they had deep relations with religious and political parties in the country. “We are not interfering in internal affairs of Pakistan but we have very deep and close political, religious and cultural relations with Pakistan, its people and religious parties here,” he said.
He said the Daawa and Maktab office of Saudi Arabia established in Islamabad was very popular among the people who had been its regular visitors. “During my stay in Pakistan, I have also met leaders of different sects and conveyed brotherly feelings of the government and the people of Saudi Arabia to them,” he said.To a question, Al Ammar said that Saudi Arabia did not play any role in ending the democratic government in Egypt.