Islamabad will "intensify" efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the Yemen conflict, Pakistan's prime minister said Monday, after parliament voted to keep the country out of the Saudi-led coalition against anti-government rebels. Nawaz Sharif said the restoration of Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government, overthrown by Huthi Shiite rebels, would be an "important step forward towards establishing peace". The Pakistani parliament on Friday unanimously voted to remain neutral in the Yemen conflict, rebuffing long-term ally Riyadh's request for troops, war planes and ships. Pakistan has pushed efforts to find a negotiated end to the fighting, holding talks last week with Iranian and Turkish officials to pursue this. "Pakistan will intensify its diplomatic efforts in the coming days, in consultation with the leadership of Saudi Arabia, to resolve the crisis," Sharif said in a statement delivered to television cameras. Saudi Arabia accuses Tehran, the major Shiite power, of backing the rebels and has vowed to bomb the fighters to pressure them to surrender and prevent a pro-Iran state setting up on its doorstep. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif visited Islamabad for talks last week and Sharif said he warned him that the overthrow of Hadi's "legitimate government in Yemen... had set a dangerous precedent that was fraught with serious risks for the entire region".
