Pakistan's government said Thursday it will dispatch a top civil-military delegation to Saudi Arabia following Riyadh's request that it join a coalition to defend Yemen's president, promising a "strong response" to any threat to the Gulf kingdom.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decided to send the group to Saudi Arabia on Friday after meeting with top defence and military officials in Islamabad late Thursday, his office said in a statement quoted by The Daily Mail.
"The meeting concluded that any threat to Saudi Arabia's territorial integrity would evoke a strong response from Pakistan," it said, adding that Pakistan's defence minister and Sharif's national security advisor would travel to the country, along with top military figures.
Sharif told the meeting that "Pakistan enjoys close and brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries and attaches great importance to their security."
The Gulf kingdom has begun air strikes against Shiite Houthi rebels and the Saudi ambassador in Washington said a coalition of 10 countries, including Pakistan, was being formed to protect the Yemeni government.