Hafiz Saeed asks Pakistan government to ensure security of Saudi Arabia

LAHORE: Outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed has asked the Pakistani government to make efforts to set up a joint army of Muslim countries to ensure security of Saudi Arabia, which has launched air strikes on Yemeni rebels.

"Riyadh is our time-tested friend that has been providing Islamabad all the support whenever needed and our parliament's joint session should give a strong message to the world with regard to upholding the solidarity and integrity of Saudi Arabia," said 65-year-old Saeed, who roams around freely in Pakistan despite being a designated terrorist.

The founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba said conspiracies were being hatched to attack Saudi Arabia.

"I call upon the Muslim world to immediately get united and pool in their military resources to protect the brotherly country against external threat to its security," he demanded.

Saudi Arabia has formally asked Pakistan to join its 10-nation coalition against Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels, who, with the help of military units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, have captured a number of key Yemeni cities including the capital Sanaa and the port city of Aden.