A big question mark
The new counterterrorism coalition includes nations with large and established armies such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt as well as war-torn countries with embattled militaries such as Libya and Yemen. After initial ambiguity Pakistan has welcomed the initiative and the government of Pakistan has confirmed its participation in the Saudi-led military alliance for ‘fighting terrorism’. African nations that have suffered militant attacks such as Mali, Chad, Somalia and Nigeria are also members. Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran and its allies, Syria and Iraq, are excluded from the alliance, despite the states sharing a common enemy in the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.
The coalition will fight the ISIS militant group as well as “any terrorist organisation that appears in front of us,” according to Saudi deputy crown prince and Defence Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The alliance would operate on UN and OIC provisions on terrorism. A number of countries are suffering from terrorism, including Syria, Iraq, Sinai, Yemen, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and this requires strong efforts to counter. Undoubtedly, through this alliance there will be coordination to fight against it. Islam forbids corruption and destruction in the world and terrorism constitutes “a serious violation of human dignity and rights, especially the right to life and the right to security”. Currently, every Muslim country is fighting terrorism individually. Such co-coordinating efforts sound very important.
But there is the question of the exact definition of terrorism for every country. Who to fight and who to protect? Apparently, this coalition will attack ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq. The new alliance excludes Iran, Iraq and Syria, making it suspicious and an anti-Iranian or anti-Shia alliance rather than just an alliance against terror. In other words, this could be seen as “a sectarian coalition”. It would be justified in questioning the nature of the alliance and its ability to be effective militarily when the interests and enemies are different for most of the countries. Israel is a terrorist country for the Palestinians but not necessarily for other countries. Can this alliance take action against it? Similarly, India is a terrorist for the Kashmiris and Pakistanis but not for Afghanistan. On the one side, this new Islamic military coalition can develop mechanisms for working with other countries and international bodies to support counterterrorism efforts; on the other, Pakistan’s involvement might affect its relations with Iran and further entrench the Shia-Sunni schism.
Pakistan Army has already launched a comprehensive operation against foreign and local terrorists. Operation Zarb-e-Azb is a joint military offensive being conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, al-Qaeda, Jundallah and the Haqqani Network. The people of Pakistan have paid a heavy price of blood in this war against terrorism. We should keep in mind what happened the last time we joined such a coalition when the KSA and USA dragged Pakistan into the Afghanistan war with drastic results later on. Now Afghanistan, for which Pakistan has suffered a lot, seeks close ties with India. Funding for jihadi activities cannot be ignored. In this scenario, there is a need to address the countries that sponsor terrorism.
Pakistan could be the most important member of this alliance due to its military power and experience and the fact that it is the only Muslim-majority nation with nuclear weapons. However, being a nuclear power is a great responsibility, and Pakistan cannot allow the use of its nuclear weapons under any circumstances unless its own survival is at stake.
There are also many questions that remain unanswered about this new coalition. While most coalition countries lie at considerable geographical distance, what would be the measures to gather the forces on one platform? The Saudis say this new coalition will “share information and train, equip and provide forces if necessary” in the fight against terror groups. But comprehensive operational details with its implications as to how the new alliance will proceed are very important in clarifying the needs and the objectives to all its members, yet they remain under wraps.