Pakistan won't provide troops to Saudi-led anti-terror bloc

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan on Tuesday said it would not send troops to fight in any country as part of a 34-nation Saudi-led alliance against "terrorism".

"Saudi Arabia has neither asked for ground troops nor are we sending them [to any country]," Pakistani foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz told a parliamentary foreign affairs committee.

Briefing the committee on last week’s back-to-back visits to Islamabad by Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, Aziz stressed Pakistan’s full support for the anti-terrorism alliance but said its participation would be limited to intelligence sharing, training and the provision of arms.

"It is not our policy to send troops to any country as part of any alliance except those with a UN mandate," Aziz was quoted as saying by Pakistani state television.

Aziz also told the committee that Islamabad would rather play a mediatory role between Riyadh and Tehran -- rather than taking sides -- with a view to easing mounting tension between the two regional powers.

Diplomatic ties between longtime strategic allies Islamabad and Riyadh reportedly soured last year after the former refused to send troops to fight Shia Houthi rebels in Yemen as part of a Saudi-led military campaign.

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan on Tuesday said it would not send troops to fight in any country as part of a 34-nation Saudi-led alliance against "terrorism".

"Saudi Arabia has neither asked for ground troops nor are we sending them [to any country]," Pakistani foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz told a parliamentary foreign affairs committee.

"It is not our policy to send troops to any country as part of any alliance except those with a UN mandate," Aziz was quoted as saying by Pakistani state television.