New Delhi, Oct. 7 -- Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar abruptly terminated a media interaction following sharp questioning over whether parliamentary approval would be sought before committing Pakistani forces to kinetic operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen. His departure was more revealing than any carefully drafted diplomatic statement could have been. It exposed the uncertainty surrounding Pakistan's military role at precisely the moment when the Mecca Pact was being tested in circumstances that its architects may not have fully anticipated.

The question is no longer whether Pakistan stands with Saudi Arabia. It has already said that it does. The real question is how far that commitment extends when ...