Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a special relationship in diplomatic parlance. In fact, it is often popularly stated that Pakistan constructs its foreign policy keeping in view three primary allies, the United States, China and Saudi Arabia. Perhaps, this special relationship can be best amplified as one of mutual benefits, wherein Pakistan fulfills Saudi Arabia’s security needs, while Pakistan is assisted with its finances. An accurate example would be Pakistan’s transfer of JF-17 Thunder jets to Saudi Arabia, but only after the Saudis sent Pakistan $1.5 in aid in 2014.
Yet maybe the paradigms have changed. Prime Minister Imran Khan made a visit to Doha few days ago where he met the emir of Qatar, but speculation is rife that the trip came after deteriorating diplomatic relations between Pakistan and the Saudis. This strain in the relations has possibly developed because of the rejection of Saudi Arabia to discuss the illegal, dictatorial and inhumane actions of the Indian government during a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. This is a huge setback for Imran’s regime which was being given credit for forcing Saudi Arabia to hold a special session of the OIC on Kashmir.
Both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are dominant members of the OIC and have historically been at each other’s back. When Pakistan and India went to war in 1971, the Saudi’s stood by Pakistan by opposing Bangladesh’s creation. Similarly, historically, Saudi Arab has backed Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, and in return Pakistan advanced Saudi interests in the region. The two sides were rooting for the same side during the Afghan civil war, backing the Taliban which had ostracized Iran and affected Pak-Iran relations negatively. Tensions between Iran and Pakistan greatly intensified when Iran accused Pakistan of war crimes as Pakistani warplanes bombarded Afghanistan’s last Shia stronghold in support of the Taliban in 1998. In the Persian Gulf War, Pakistan too stood by Saudi Arabia by sending troops to protect Saudi Arabia. Some state that Pakistan troops numbering thousands are still in Saudi territory, but nobody knows exactly how much they number.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia categorically supported Pakistan when we went for the nuclear blasts in 1999, with it being stated that Saudi Arabia was the only country to have known of the blasts beforehand, and after the blasts the Saudi’s had supported Pakistan and even offered to help with free oil if sanctions were imposed on Pakistan.
But even though Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have traditionally been on the same side of global politics, times change. Prime Minister Khan was in a demeaning manner strong armed by the Saudis to not attend the Muslim Summit in Kuala Lumpur in December last year. This summit was spearheaded by states who believe in a different version of political Islam than one by the Saudis and have developed economies challenging Saudi hegemony in the Islamic states, Turkey and Malaysia. The emir of Qatar was also in attendance, who’s country has been blockaded by the Saudis in sheer violation of international norms. The real reason for Saudi unease with the Muslim summit was that it was seen as a rival to the OIC, which has lost its credibility in the eyes of the world after inviting India as a guest to its session when India was carrying out a massacre of Muslims in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
Perhaps it is time to rethink Saudi Arabia’s position while forming our foreign policy, with it being given a scaled down role
Yet Pakistan seems to be warming up to traditional Saudi rivals, with Turkey’s Edrogan visiting Pakistan recently and multiple visits by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Emir of Qatar to each other’s states.
While holding a joint press conference with Edrogan, the Prime Minister emphasized that Pakistan stood with Turkey over its clashes with Syria, while Edrogan strongly backed Pakistan on Kashmir. Unlike the Saudis, Malaysia has fiercely backed Pakistan on the issue as well. Qatar has also invested in Pakistan’s economy, and it seems that clearly Pakistani interests are aligned with the this new Muslim summit bloc.
Perhaps it is time to rethink Saudi Arabia’s position while forming our foreign policy, with it being given a scaled down role.
Ever since Pakistan rejected a request from Saudi Arabia to contribute troops to the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen because it did not align with Pakistan’s security interests, the Saudi’s have failed to back us on legitimate issues in the region, including Kashmir, exposing the selfish nature of foreign policy adopted by states only in their interests.
While Pakistan has been shown green pastures by the Saudis in terms of financial co-operation including $1.5 billion which was deposited in the State Bank of Pakistan and $20 billion investment in Pakistan, this investment is still to see the light of the day. As a matter of changed circumstances it is costing us an arm and a leg to support the Saudis specially by ignoring other allies. Indian trade with the Saudis substantially outweighs Pakistan and Saudi trade volume, and it is as clear as it can get, billion-dollar investments are prompting the Saudi silence and ignorance over Kashmir. We have to rethink the priority we accord the Saudis in our foreign policy and act only in our own best interests.
The writer is a barrister, who has an interest in Pakistani current affairs, economy, constitutional developments, foreign policy and international law