By Sajjad Shaukat
An article, under the
title, “Pakistan—A key GCC ally”, published in the “Arab News” on January 15,
2016, written by Abdulrahman Al-Rashed needs appropriate attention.
Abdulrahman mentioned
that three million Pakistanis who work in the Gulf countries, and
the $4 billion in annual transactions they make, the region considers relations
with Pakistan strategic.
He elaborates, “The
country is not viewed as a mere trading partner or another Muslim nation.
Pakistan has always been considered part of the formula of regional balance
with Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.”
He wrote, “Pakistan’s
military capabilities qualify it to play a balancing role in the region,
whereby it is a deterrent against Iranian expansionism, which has increased
following the nuclear deal. Despite tensions, I do not think the situation will
deteriorate into military conflict between major regional countries. However,
an active Pakistani presence in the Middle East, and particularly in the Gulf
region, will provide regional stability and security, and enhance Islamabad’s international
influence.”
Abdulrahman said, “Since
Pakistan is militarily stronger than its neighbor Iran, with which it shares a
900-kilometer border, Tehran has avoided a confrontation with Islamabad,
although it has not stopped inciting sectarian tensions in Pakistan and
Afghanistan.”
He further wrote, “Iran
has been keen to tempt Islamabad by talking of building a gas pipeline through
Pakistan—a plan that has always been delayed by regional crises, geopolitical
issues and sanctions on Iran that prevented bilateral trade. Even if Tehran
implements the plan, Pakistani interests in Arab Gulf countries are huge and
have bigger value commercially, politically and religiously.”
He concluded, “Pakistan
has played a balancing role with Iran in the Gulf since the 1970s, and its
weight increased as Tehran’s threats against Gulf countries increased in the
1980s. Consecutive Pakistani governments have strengthened relations with the
Gulf countries. The Gulf countries consider Pakistan a strategic ally, and a
provider of regional balance aimed at preventing Iranian unilateralism and
chaos.”
Although in his article,
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed has pointed out Pakistan’s balancing role in the Middle
East, yet he has not taken cognizance of the facts impartially. In other words,
he has shown that Islamabad more prefers its relationship with the countries of
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) than Iran.”
In fact, Pakistan has
been acting upon a balanced policy in the Middle East, which could be judged in
light of some developments.
In this regard, rift
between Saudi Arabia and Iran widened in the aftermath of the execution of
the prominent Shia religious leader Nimr al-Nimr as part of Riyadh’s
executions of 47 persons on terrorism charges, on January 2, this year. Saudi
Arabia and other Gulf countries like Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, including Sudan
broke off diplomatic relations with Iran.
The long rivalry between
Saudi Arabia and Iran has come to a boiling point, as rulers and religious
leaders of both the countries were accusing each other of promoting sectarian
divide in the Islamic World on the Shia-Sunni basis, while manipulating
Arab-non-Arab differences.
In this respect, on
January 5, 2016, the Adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs,
Sartaj Aziz said before the National Assembly. Pakistan is concerned over
recent tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran…the Muslim World faces grave
dangers in the situation.”
The statement follows
criticism from opposition parties which lashed out at the government in the National
Assembly for not coming up with a clear stance on the situation arising out in
the region because of the tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran and called for
a parliamentary briefing on the issue. Aziz also gave an in-camera briefing to
the National Assembly on the Saudi-Iran tensions.
Aziz maintained that
Pakistan will continue to play its positive role to ease tensions between Iran
and Saudi Arabia and it advocates unity among the Muslim countries.
For the purpose,
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel
Sharif had visited Saudi Arabia and Iran. They held meetings with their rulers
in in a bid to defuse tensions between the two countries. They called for resolution
of the crisis through peaceful means in the larger interest of the Muslim
world.
According to the ISPR,
during the meeting in Riyadh, Gen. Raheel highlighted Pakistan’s perspective on
the Middle East situation and pointed out, “Due to the situation in Middle
East, the Muslim Ummah is weakening,” and “stressed the need for opening up the
communication channel between Saudi Arabia and Iran.”
Speaking to media in
Tehran after meeting Iranian President Hasan Rouhani and his cabinet members,
the prime minister said Pakistan had achieved success in normalising ties
between the two countries in 1997 and also played the same role during tensions
between Iran and Iraq.
He said, “Pakistan will
appoint a focal person on Saudi-Iran issue and sincere efforts are being done
in this regard.”
In his meeting with the
Iranian Defence Minister Hosse Dehghan in Islamabad, Gen. Raheel Sharif
reiterated that “Pakistan takes Iran as a very important neighbouring Muslim
country and the people of Pakistan have a great affinity with their Iranian
brothers.” The Iranian defence minister thanked Gen. Raheel and the people of
Pakistan for their efforts to bolster regional security.
While, during the trip
of Saudi Arabia’s deputy crown prince and defence minister, Mohammed bin Salman
at Islamabad, Pakistan’s prime minister and chief of army staff had assured him
to defuse tension between the two brother countries. His visit came just four days after the kingdom’s Foreign Minister Adel
al Jubeir visited Islamabad.
It is notable that some
media analysts had misinterpreted the statements of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
and Gen. Raheel Sharif that during their interactions with the rulers of Saudi
Arabia, they preferred Riyadh over Tehran by reiterating that “the people of
Pakistan would always stand with the people of Saudi Arabia against any threat
to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the kingdom.” However, it was
not true, as Islamabad decided to play a mediatory role between the two Muslim
countries as part of a balanced approach in the Middle East.
It is
mentionable that in the recent past, Islamabad refused to send its troops in
Syria to fight against the Islamic State group (ISIS) which is Sunni-based
militant outfit and wants to oust the Shia-government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Similarly, last year, Riyadh insisted upon Pakistan to send its
armed forces in Saudi Arabia and also to join the coalition to conduct aerial
strikes on Yemen. Islamabad which did not join the coalition had also refused
to dispatch its forces in Saudi Arabia. Instead, Pakistan’s parliament had
passed a unanimous resolution which stated, “The war in Yemen is not sectarian
in nature, but has the potential of turning into a sectarian conflict which
will have critical fallout in the region including Pakistan.” It urged the
government “to stay neutral in the Yemen” conflict and called upon “warring
factions in Yemen to resolve their differences peacefully through dialogue.”
On December 15, 2015,
Saudi Arabia announced a 34-state Sunni-based military alliance to fight the
ISIS. The alliance included Islamic states such as Egypt, Qatar, the United
Arab Emirates, Turkey, Malaysia, and some African states, with a joint
operations centre established in Riyadh. The name of Pakistan was also mentioned
in the list. Washington immediately welcomed the alliance.
On December 17, 2015,
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry said that he was surprised to read
the news that Saudi Arabia had named Pakistan as part of the alliance.
As
already stated that in wake of Iran-Saudi Arabia rift, Pakistan’s National
Assembly debated the issue, when Sartaj Aziz informed the Assembly that
Pakistan would continue to play its mediatory role between Iran and
Saudi Arabia, The Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and other
parliamentary leaders had asked the government to refrain from joining the
Saudi Arabia-led alliance at the cost of neighboring Iran.
It is of particular
attention that the US had planned to spark a civil war between the Sunnis and
Shias in wake of war on terror. For the purpose, a study of Rand Corporation,
titled ‘US Strategy in the Muslim World After 9/11’ was conducted on behalf of
the then US Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force. Its report which was released
on December 27, 2004 advocated that Sunni-Shia sectarian division should be
exploited to promote the US objectives in the Muslim World. The report was
first implemented in Iraq.
In 2004, major
terror-attacks were carried out against the Shias. Afterwards, a chain of
Shia-Sunni clashes started between Iraqi Shias and Sunnis, targeting each
other’s mosques and religious leaders through bomb blasts, suicide attacks etc.
After Iraq’s experiment, more deadly pattern of sectarian strife and clashes
have been conducted in Pakistan. With the tactical assistance of American CIA
and Mossad, Indian secret agency RAW have arranged a number of attacks on
mosques and religious leaders of Shias and Sunnis through the militant groups
such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jundullah (God’s soldiers). These
outfits kidnapped and killed many Iranian nationals in Pakistan including
Iranian diplomats. Jundollah conducted several subversive acts in Pakistan’s
province of Balochistan and Iranian Sistan-Baluchistan. In this regard, Tehran
has directly accused CIA of funding these types of terror attacks.
It is noteworthy that
while hinting towards US and Israel, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei
had disclosed, “The bloody actions being committed in Iraq, Pakistan and Iran
are aimed at creating a division between the Shias and Sunnis…those who carry
out these terrorist actions are directly or indirectly foreign agents.”
Pakistan’s leading Ulemas
(Religious scholars) of the Shia-Sunni sects, including politicians have
repeatedly pointed out that external conspiracies were being hatched to destroy
peace in the country though sectarian divide.
Nonetheless, being a
responsible country, Pakistan has been implementing a balance policy in the
Middle East
Sajjad Shaukat writes on
international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
Email:
sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
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