It is the need of the hour that Pakistan play a leading role in mediating among Muslim states.
ISLAMABAD: The US and its allies have criticised and warned Russia over the occupation of Crimea and stressed that the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine must be preserved. The G-8 summit suspended Russia’s membership and has warned President Vladimir Putin to abstain from taking offensive initiatives against Ukraine. The US has further said that war against Russia is not in favour of any country.
The US has condemned Russia’s overrun and sees it as a tyrant. But, the other side of the picture is totally different. The US declared war on Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction and pushed that country right back into Stone Age through heavy bombing on civilians. The IAEA inspectors had assured the US that Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction. But no one could keep the reins on the US.
In the Middle East, the US is adding fuel to domestic fires in Arab Muslim states like Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and is responsible for the anarchy and ousting of regimes in various countries. It is a common perception that the inclination of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain towards Pakistan indicates that relations between the US and Saudi Arabia are in disarray as a reaction to the ostensible warming of ties between Iran and America. Common wisdom suggests that Saudi Arabia desires to sideline Iran, a country which it believes to be a huge threat to Saudi security. The Arab leadership is said to have received a secret report, which suggests that the US is helping insurgents on the borders of Saudi Arabia. Hence, the Saudi government approached Pakistan for help, and in exchange, it released a $1.5 billion grant as gift for Pakistan to stabilise our economy.
Instead of serving US interests, Pakistan should act as an arbitrator between Saudi Arab and Iran to bring them closer. It is the need of the hour that Pakistan play a leading role in mediating among Muslim states.
Shahzad Hussain Bhatti
Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2014.
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