- Pakistan must maintain neutrality in Gulf disputes
While the Saudi crown prince is due this weekend, his vanguard comprising Gen (r) Raheel Sharif and staff are already in Pakistan. The retired general has already called on COAS Qamar Javed Bajwa, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi and Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. We are yet to know the purpose behind these meetings except that these could be a part of the PR job the prince badly needs these days. Gen Bajwa has meanwhile lauded Sharif’s role for Middle East peace efforts though these have remained unreported in media, both national and global .
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are expected to ink three major memorandums of understanding (MoUs) amounting to over $10billion for investment in oil, renewable energy and mineral development. The Board of Investment (BoI) has avowedly taken the consent of the four provinces for signing the umbrella deal in the minerals sector. The 40 businessmen reported to be in the entourage will interact with local businessmen that could lead to signing of agreements among private sector entrepreneurs from the two countries. Economic cooperation would benefit both sides and needs to be welcomed.
There is however a political dimension also which Pakistan’s leadership would do well to keep in mind.
The Gulf region is badly polarised. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and UAE are lined up against Qatar and Iran. The relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey have also turned less than cordial after the Khashoggi affair.. Pakistan meanwhile maintains cordial ties with all these countries. It is against its national interest to look like a partisan. Besides sharing a border with Iran, Pakistan has a long history of mutually beneficial ties with its neighbur. Pakistan receives the bulk of its gas supplies from Qatar which also host a fairly large number of Pakistani workers and professionals. There are vital and mutually beneficial military to military relations between Pakistan and Turkey .
Pakistan must therefore avoid even the slightest sign of partisanship. It should act instead as an honest broker and a friend that can help them settle their disputes.
