Pakistani lawmakers vote to stay out of Yemen conflict

The predominantly Sunni Pakistan has a Shiite minority of its own and shares a long border with the Shiite powerhouse Iran.

Pakistan’s parliament has decided not to join the Saudi-led coalition targeting Shiite rebels in Yemen, with lawmakers adopting a resolution calling on the warring parties to resolve the conflict through peaceful dialogue.

After days of debating, Pakistani lawmakers on Friday unanimously voted in favor of a resolution saying that the parliament desires “Pakistan should maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict so as to be able to play a proactive diplomatic role to end the crisis.”

The predominantly Sunni Pakistan, which has a Shiite minority of its own and shares a long border with the Shiite powerhouse Iran, has been concerned about getting involved in Yemen’s increasingly sectarian conflict and a Saudi-Iran proxy war in the region.