Pakistan voices support for Jordan’s King Abdullah II amid turmoil

Pakistan on Monday expressed its full support for Kingdom of Jordan, led by King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

"Pakistan is following the situation in Jordan," FO spokesperson Zahid Chaudhri said, adding, "Pakistan fully supports the right of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to preserve its security, stability and sovereignty."

The statement comes at a time when tensions appear to be high within Jordan’s royal household after Prince Hamza bin Al Hussein, the former crown prince and half-brother of ruling monarch Abdullah, was reportedly been placed under house arrest.

Prince Hamza, in a voice recording released on Monday, said that he would disobey orders by the army not to communicate with the outside world.

Read more: Jordan appreciates Pakistan's continuous efforts for peace, stability

The half-brother of King Abdullah and former heir to the throne said in the recording released by the country’s opposition that he would not comply after being barred from any activity and told to keep quiet.

While Prince Hamza is not seen as a direct threat to the king, his actions suggest he is keen to shore up his position with ordinary Jordanians after he was removed from the royal succession.

“For sure I won’t obey when they tell you that you cannot go out or tweet or reach out to people but are only allowed to see the family. I expect this talk is not acceptable in any way,” he said in the recording he circulated to friends and contacts.

On Saturday, the military warned the prince over actions it said were undermining “security and stability” in Jordan. Prince Hamza later said he was under house arrest. Several high-profile figures were also detained.

Officials announced on Sunday that Prince Hamza had liaised with people who had contacts with foreign parties in a plot to destabilise Jordan and he had been under investigation for some time.

Jordan’s neighbours and allies expressed solidarity with King Abdullah over the security measures in the kingdom, an important ally of the United States.