Challenged at home, can he perform a feat of high statesmanship abroad?
The Panama case judgment and the ongoing inquiries by the JIT have damaged Nawaz Sharif’s position both at home and abroad. The Prime Minister is now scheduled to appear before the Joint Investigation Team to prove his innocence, something that has never happened to the chief executive in this country before. Whether Sharif will be exonerated is anybody’s guess. There are reports of Ishaq Dar, who virtually holds second position in the cabinet after the PM, also being required to face the interrogation. Until the Supreme Court acquits Nawaz Sharif on the basis of the JIT report uncertainty about his present tenure and political future will continue to act as a liability.
At this juncture the PM has been called upon to play a role in resolving the feud between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Pakistan has friendly relations with both which makes it difficult for it to side with one against the other. What is more, Pakistan’s foreign policy tenets require the government to play a conciliatory role in case of a dispute among the Muslim countries instead of taking sides. Conscious of his weak position Nawaz Sharif has decided to take COAS Bajwa along with him to Riyadh. This is meant to convey that the stand taken by Sharif is the policy of the state which would continue irrespective of who is in power.
The Saudi-led diplomatic and economic offensive has created serious problems for Qatar and the region. The country hopes to withstand the embargo through airlifts from Iran, Turkey and East European countries albeit at considerable expense. While UAE and Bahrain have followed the Saudi lead, Kuwait and Oman are still reluctant to do so. Kuwait is in fact trying to mediate between the two sides. Turkey too is unhappy with the Saudi move. This was an ideal time for Pakistan to play a leading role in bringing about conciliation between Saudi Arabia and countries like Qatar and Iran. But can a PM hamstrung by domestic liabilities and a reduced political stature play the historic role?
