Daily Times

It seems our foreign policy is designed to remain in a state of agog, in the hands of a blind man searching for a black cat in a dark room with doors wide open. And social media running amok with a carte blanche is out there making fun of inmates of Islamabad’s erstwhile Hotel Sheherzade with stories such as Pakistan sending its troops in aid of Qatar that is under threat from Saudis who are backed by six other Gulf states and command an army headed by Pakistan’s ex-Army chief to carry out the orders of American President Donald Trump.

In this dismal scenario, it is too good to be true that Prime Nawaz Sharif, having addressed a conference of Pakistani ambassadors in Islamabad, has embarked on a visit to Saudi Arabia to pull back the hawks in Riyadh hell bent in being drastic with Qatar and Iran. In what can be called an attempt at pro-activating Pakistan’s foreign policy-whatever — the Prime Minister very wisely said that Pakistan should play a positive role by being an honest broker to bring the conflicting parties on a dialogue table especially when Qatar is ready to face the Saudis and its six allies and talk to them on all issues unconditionally. Besides usual horde of baratis, the most significant is the fact that the Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has accompanied the Prime Minister. However, this must not be interpreted as what the Americans call as ‘carrot and stick’ approach.

Pakistan has been rendered into a helpless state of affairs. It cannot decide what is in its best national interest — to be known as the only nuclear Muslim state that can stand on its own, or to be branded as a banana republic whose political and military leaders are available for sale with no shelf life?

Whatever positives one could relate with the visit, one could not dismiss the adverse comments by his critics who believe that the Prime Minister is not too happy with the proceedings of the JIT into Panama Papers leaks and, thus, he has gone to Holy Ka’aba Shareef to seek divine help. Timing of the visit just two days before June 15 appearance before JIT is no less significant. Moreover, General Bajwa would be with him for the whole tour that would give him ample time to discuss various important issues.

One hopes that the Prime Minister would receive enough of ear in the right quarters to convey Pakistani parliament’s profound concerns over the formation of the Saudi sponsored coalition army and its perceived objectives of countering Iran in what is being called intensifying to a threatening magnitude Shia-Sunni (Wahabi) conflict. Pakistan has to convey to the Saudi hawks that it can buy latest armoury from the Americans, but it cannot have Pakistani soldiers pulling the triggers or shouldering their stringers — irrespective of the fact that it has hired Pakistan’s ex-Army Chief to head the coalition army.

PM’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz must convey to Riyadh that it was much too embarrassing to be presented with a fait accompli when Pakistan was announced as member of coalition without seeking its approval. Pakistan found itself in a Catch-22 situation when the popular perception that emerged meant that it was nothing but a Sunni alliance pitched against Shia Iran.

We have become member of IMAFT (Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism) without it being debated or discussed in Parliament so have we allowed former Army Chief General Raheel Sharif to take up controversial position as Commander-in-Chief of Islamic Military Alliance without the approval of the Parliament.

No right-minded Pakistani in the country with the largest Shia population after Iran is happy over Pakistan’s involvement in an America-sponsored conflict which, I am sure, would be more devastating and expansive than Afghanistan. The manner Pakistan has been rendered into a helpless state is outright pathetic. It cannot decide what is in its best national interest — to be known as the only nuclear Muslim state that could stand on its own or be branded as a banana republic whose political and military leaders are available for sale with no shelf life.

Could there be any one more remorseful to be member of a government that neither has a foreign policy, nor a sense of direction or awareness about national and geo-strategic interests. I felt pity for Adviser to the PM on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz when he had to face the Senate recently to respond to the uncomfortable questioning by the Senators regarding the Saudi sponsored IMAFT.

There could not be anything more insulting to read about him that a man of his calibre was at a loss for words to defend the government. It was no fault of his. When a state is run as a personal fiefdom wisest of its men or women cannot help in countering national humiliation. The best that can be done is to get out of it and let those buffoons handle who are responsible for such an irretrievable state of affair.

Advisor Sartaj Aziz cut a sorry figure out of his own vocation. Since he was not privy to the Terms of Reference for setting up of 41-nation alliance with an army under a retired Pakistani general-obviously directed against Shia Iran — he would have earned national respect if he had refused to be party to such a sell out by individuals for personal dividends sacrificing national interests.

The writer is former High Commissioner of Pakistan to UK and a veteran journalist