...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the
Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is
God is Great, Death to Americaâ„¢, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews...
rebels.
The Saudi minister had arrived in Islamabad on Sunday on a previously unannounced trip amid growing doubts in Riyadh and among its allies about Islamabad's support for the offensive against Houthis after a parliamentary resolution called for observing neutrality in the conflict.
Sheikh Saleh's only engagement with government functionaries on Monday was a meeting with his Pak counterpart, Sardar Mohammad Yusuf, who later hosted a reception in his honour.
But for most of the day, the Saudi minister interacted with holy men from Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia and JUI-F chief
Maulana Fazlur RehmanDeobandi holy man, known as
Mullah Dieselduring the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ...
.
The meetings coincided with statements by some religious parties that they could send fighters to Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
if the government refused to send troops in support of the Saudi-led operation against Houthis.
There has also been an upsurge in activities by the religious parties for moulding public opinion in favour of the Saudi action and the need for Pakistain to support it.
Jamaat Ahle Hadith held a conference on Saturday and before that Jamaat-ud-Dawa
...the front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba...
brought out a rally calling for Pakistain's participation in the war against Houthis.
In his meetings, the Saudi religious minister has been saying that Riyadh remains confident that Pakistain will support it.
Sheikh Saleh's visit was preceded by a trip by Saudi Chief Adviser on Religious Affairs Dr Abdul Aziz.
A source disclosed that there had been a sudden increase in the number of visitors to Pakistain over the past fortnight.