Islamabad: Pakistan on Sunday strongly refuted foreign media reports that it plans to send 20,000 troops to Qatar amid the deepening diplomatic rift in the Middle East.
In a statement the Foreign Office said these reports were “completely fabricated and baseless and appeared to be “part of a malicious campaign aimed at creating misunderstanding between Pakistan and brotherly Muslim countries in the Gulf.”
TRT Urdu, a part of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), earlier reported that a bill seeking the deployment of 20,000 troops to Qatar had been passed by the Pakistani National Assembly.
The report added that, upon adopting the bill, lawmakers urged Qatar and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to resolve their differences through dialogue.
Last week, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen and the Maldives severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism while Qatar rejected the allegation as “baseless.”
On Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved legislation for increased military cooperation with Qatar, including a deal for the deployment of Turkish troops there.
Pakistan has stressed the need for unity in the Muslim world and urged the countries involved to engage in dialogue. Expressing “deep concern” over the diplomatic Gulf diplomatic spat, a resolution adopted by the National Assembly called for restraint and resolution of differences through dialogue.
The resolution urged the government to take concrete steps towards forging unity among the Muslim Ummah in the region.
A six-member Qatari delegation, headed by businessman Abdul Hadi Mana Al Hajri, reportedly visited Pakistan during the past week and reportedly conveyed a message from the Qatari ruler asking Islamabad to play a positive role in resolving the diplomatic crisis.
The Foreign Office, had, however denied having any knowledge of the visit and stressed the need for unity among Muslim countries.
