According to the opinion of Dr Pervez Hoodboy, Yemen conflict has essentially created a sense of anger and fear in the Arab world and naturally to Saudi Arabia being nearest neighbours. Likewise certain Saudi and Gulf personalities like UAE’s Dr Anwar Gargash are also fraught with Pakistan Parliament’s decision of not sending troops to anywhere except to defend Harmain Sharifain, that is also if threatened from any state or non-state actors because it is the religious and moral onus on all the Muslims including Pakistanis to protect our holy places from any sort of hostility.
Dr Hoodboy is assuredly an able physicist with scientific knowledge and certainly would be adept to edify his pupils with the intricacies of science, but it is regrettably an uncalled for shriek at an absolutely wrong time to postulate and advance an unfounded possibility of Saudis coercing Pakistan into erecting a nuclear shield for them. Why would Pakistan do such a favour to Saudi Arabia and for that matter to any other country? The incumbent Prime Minister may be under personal burden from a particular potentate in his personal capacity but Pakistan’s nuclear systems are neither personal property of any government nor a commodity for sale rather collective assets of all Pakistanis to ensure our beloved country’s security from aggressors. The riches of 1.5 billion dollar must have been given to current government of Nawaz Sharif but this money has nothing to do with Pakistan’s nuclear programme which was matured almost two decades ago.
Airing such suppositions will not only provide ample opportunities for demonising Pakistan by Indians but also strengthen Pakistan’s other enemies who are incessantly on the look for such allegations. We should not strengthen the hands of Pakistan’s enemies who would be more than happy to hear such allegations at a moment when all the Pakistanis and its armed forces, in sync with the aspirations of nation, are in a crucial phase of rooting out terrorism and extremists from our society. If at all Saudis would require a nuclear weapon, the Americans are at their service because the US is biggest supplier of war machines to Saudis besides proliferating nuclear technology to India under the pretext of energy deal. Americans have an undeniable history of benefitting from conflicts and wars.
I think Dr Hoodboy’s opinion just appeared at a wrong time to discuss Pakistan’s nuclear posture. I am optimistic that Pakistanis are mature enough to understand why starting such discussions is necessary.
MUHAMMAD SAEED
Islamabad
