Daily Times

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Sultan (MBS) faces an embarrassment of sorts. For his much-touted Future Investment Initiative (FII), only in its second year, risks playing to empty seats; relatively speaking of course. After all, Prime Minister Imran Khan has RSVP’d.  He, for one, is not letting the pesky and unresolved question of a journalist’s fate come in the way of Pakistan’s begging bowl. Not like the Americans, the Brits, the French, the Dutch or, indeed, the IMF.

The FII, better known as Davos in the Desert, is MBS’ brainchild. Part of his Saudi Vision 2030; which continues to be marketed as a vehicle for social and economic reform. But which, in reality, hinges on diversifying the Kingdom’s oil-based economy. On the table last year were the biggies: artificial intelligence, big data, crypto currencies and climate change. Yet this time around, Jamal Khashoggi’s shadow looms large. For it is now more or less accepted that Riyadh assassinated him at the beginning of the month at its own diplomatic mission in Istanbul.

As a result, many large corporations have pulled out of the conference. Understandably, this includes media outlets such as the Financial Times and CNN. They cannot be seen to sacrifice one of their own for financial gain. Yet when it comes to multinational companies (MNCs), tech and banking giants such as Google and Goldman Sachs have also opted to boycott. Most likely participation in the FII at this time will see their profit margins take a hit. While the US and UK are still sitting pretty on account of all those lucrative arms deals to the Kingdom.

We here at this newspaper do not wish to detract from Khashoggi’s (unconfirmed) fate. He was one of us and we will continue to demand answers while advocating that those with blood on their hands be brought to book. That much should be understood. But where we will not hesitate is questioning why it takes one man’s probable murder to potentially derail the MBS reformist drive. When Saudi-led war crimes in Yemen have not.

And it is this point that PM Khan should ponder with due care.

Yemen is one of the world’s poorest nations. It is the most impoverished in the Arab world. And three years of so-called civil war have left the country facing what the UN has termed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in half a century. Indeed, the latter has repeatedly warned that more than 22 million (or three-quarters of the population) are in dire need of immediate assistance; 11.3 million being children. This week brought the news that around 12 million Yemenis could soon be on the brink of famine.

Pakistan’s new political set-up has often talked about playing the role of effective broker in the Muslim world. That is, adopting a mediatory role as opposed to taking sides. Yet when it comes to the suffering of the Yemeni people there can be no sitting on the fence. And Khan Sb is perhaps better-positioned than anyone to understand this. For he has remained steadfast in his legitimate denouncing of the GWOT as not being this country’s war. While eloquently speaking of the untold sacrifices rendered by ordinary Pakistanis.

He must therefore see that the Saudi-led offensive on Sana’a is not Yemen’s war. And that all aid and investment coming from Riyadh is, bluntly put, blood money. Nothing  more. Certainly nothing less. Thus if Pakistan wants to emerge as a true leader of the Muslim world then it must accept that this has to go beyond talking of sentiments wounded by particular cartoons. To prioritise standing up for those barely making it from one day to the next. If the Centre does not, it will not only lose credibility but also the opportunity to be a voice of reason in a turbulent region.  *

Published in Daily Times, October 20^th 2018.