Pakistan

Middle East protests: Pakistan tries to pacify Iran over Bahrain aid

Tehran miffed over reports that Pakistan has sent military aid to Manama.

Qaiser Butt April 23, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan is trying to pacify Iran over the recent initiatives that the former has taken in Afghanistan and the Gulf.

An official source, requesting anonymity, said that Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s recent trip to Tehran as a special emissary of President Asif Ali Zardari was part of these initiatives.

Tehran had expressed its reservations over not taking Iran into confidence while establishing a high-level joint Pak-Afghan commission to resolve the ten-year-old Afghan crisis.

Malik had taken a personal message of President Zardari for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sources said.

Bahrain foreign minister’s latest trip to Pakistan was aimed at seeking Islamabad’s help in pacifying protests in Bahrain, Iran’s Tehran Times had reported last week, quoting Ahlul Bayt news agency.

But Islamabad had categorically denied that it had sent troops to Bahrain to help that country’s armed forces crush the people’s uprising against the government. Pakistan’s charge d’affairs in Tehran had told Iranian authorities last month that Islamabad never provided military personnel to Bahrain.

The Pakistani envoy made this statement when he was summoned by the Iranian foreign affairs ministry to receive a letter of protest following reports that Pakistani troops had been deployed in Bahrain.

Pakistan has maintained that although it had provided manpower to Gulf countries, it has never sent army personnel to Bahrain.

According to reports, about 40,000 Pakistanis are serving in Bahraini armed forces, including the navy, air force and army. Many are also serving in the Bahraini police.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2011.

COMMENTS (17)

faraz | 12 years ago | Reply to Hasan Z. If we try to believe your comments about Iran supporting Shias in Bahrain and Syria( while they are Alawis in Syria and they're quiet different to Shias FYI) than why Iran supported people of Egypt or libya or tunisia or even palestine while they are sunnis?? And for your kind info till now nobody has provided enough evidences that syria was involved in rafiq hariri's case. Getting back to the matter, on 20th may 2011, Iranian foreign ministry's spokesman clarified Iran's stance on these uprisings in every arab country, including Syria, that the people's will must rule. Iran has called these uprisings true from the heart of people, Islamic and anti "western puppet regime" revolutions. while pakistani private sector or military has chosen to support the same puppet regimes in the region who are 100% US backed. The same US who's killing muslims (Sunnis and Shias) in Afghanistan and Pakistan on daily basis. Iran wants Pakistan to make a clear stance on these issues and not to be a follower of the regimes who are mis-using Pakistan.

Hasan Z. | 12 years ago | Reply While commenting on Bahrain we should not forget the situation in Syria ... where the situation is opposite. Iran at one side supporting the Shia population against the ruling Sunnis in Bahrain ... and on the other hand supporting the Syrian Shia rulers against the majority Sunni population. If Pakistan has extended its support to the Bahrainis .... Iranians have supplied weapons to the Syrian Government .... not to forget the same Syrian regime was behind the assasination of Rafiq Harriri (Lebanese PM & Sunni politician) and has closely supported Shia militia Hizbulah till date against Lebanon. This is war of interests by nation and all the countries are part of it .... so Iran's accusation again Pakistan seems very small compared to their own actions.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Kung | 12 years ago | Reply Enemies of Islam are trying to create sectarin divides in Islamic world which are actually non existent,I mean sunni and shias are brothers and sisters.Take example of Pakistan.Pakistan is 90 percent sunni state.Yet many shias have governed it in past.Allama Iqbal.Quaid e Azam,Iskander Mirza,Ayub Khan,yahya khan,Bhuttos,zardari were all shias.This shows sectarin divide is non existent in PakistaSectarin parties funded by India have always failed miserabily in electrols in Pakistan.

Pakistani | 12 years ago | Reply Bahrain is a country with Shiite majority and ruled by a Sunni dynasty for more than two hundred years. The current prime minister who is also king's uncle is in the office for more than forty two years. What people of Bahrain are demanding is their basic right. Majority of the population which is Shiite has been deprived from education employment and basic needs. There has been brutal crackdown on them just for this legitimate demand. If we think beyond this Shiite and Sunni division. We are all Muslims and it is the teaching of Islam to give others what is their right. Sending troops from Pakistan to crack of innocent civilians will result a catastrophe. I seems that we have not learnt from the tragedy of East Pakistan. Where we did not respect the people and sent troops to brutally crack down on the civilians. We did the same in Jordan when Brig. Zia (Who later on became Gen. Zia and President) killed innocent Palestinians for the king of Jordan. Pakistan should call back its troops(both in army and police) and should apologist to the people of Bahrain.

FG | 12 years ago | Reply Iran is the biggest two-faced country in the region. They protest in favor of demonstrators in Bahrain but brutally supress protestors in their own country. The Iranian population hates their own government. Who is Iran to ask Pakistan about troops or trainers anywhere in the world? We should summon Iranians about their interference in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and their anti-Pakistan relations with India. It's time Iran is cut to size like Pakistan did to them earlier in Afghanistan.

UmarK | 12 years ago | Reply @pakarmy: Who was Pakistan army protecting against, when it was in Jordan. Wasn't there Sunnis on both sides? Pakistan army is for hire by monarchies, their subjects could be Sunni( Jordan) or Shia (Bahrain). Religion is not really a big factor here.

arif | 12 years ago | Reply @pakarmy: sooo u are thinking that these cult rulers of gulf represent sunnism...this is a shame to sunniism itself

observer | 12 years ago | Reply More than 70% of Bahraini population is Shia. They are ruled by a minority of Sunnis,who act as a proxy of the House of Saud. To protect the interests of the ruling clique Saudi Army invaded Bahrain on 14th March,2011. Now the operation has been outsourced to mercenaries of Fauji Foundation. Please remember that it is not sending of troops by the Government of Pakistan, but a private contract. Now two questions arise, How are Fauji Foundation and its mercenaries different from Blackwater, the firm, and Davis, the operative. And what happens to Pakistan's 'usuli mauqaf' of supporting 'right of self determination a.k.a plebiscite'.

Maulana Diesel | 12 years ago | Reply Lets not forget a lot of Baluch from Pakistan serve in the Bahraini armed forces. They should not be confused with regular Pakistani soldiers.

Asif Butt | 12 years ago | Reply @everyone! I dont know why you people are giving such comments ? I doubt your LEVEL of patriotism. If the whole of Gulf/Arab States have sent troops to the call of the "Bahraini Government" , then it becomes TOTALLY IRRELEVANT what and why the Pakistani forces/personal are there for. You know if Pakistan is facing problems with many being its own seedings , it doesnt mean that whatever else we do must be rotten as well. As far as Iran is concerned , they are generally an aggressive minded nation / government , and apart from being fundamentaly principle oriented , the Iran government should also respect the meaning of government and sovereignty. You cannot live without making room for international community concerns.

Salman Orangiwala | 12 years ago | Reply " Have Greenbacks , will travel " this should be our motto . Why are we jeopardizing the lives of innocent poor Pakistani laborers in Bahrain, who are already the most vulnerable ? Wish we could come to our sense and stop exporting mercenaries where we donot belong .

John | 12 years ago | Reply Relations with pakistan are excellent -Ahmadinejad Now people will understand why such comments were made.

To Not-for-Sale | 12 years ago | Reply Supporting Taliban regime was not the first partnership but in fact was the second - the first being funding Maddrassa machinery in Pakistan to produce Jehadies for use in Afghanistan against the Russian forces. Saudi Arab is one country who is behind all the plight of poor Afghan nation, it will be none other than a chagne in this regime that can bring change in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

mujtaba haydar | 12 years ago | Reply when it comes to cojoling the rich arabs you can't beat the pakistanis to it! These pakistani merceneries, are right now, committing henious crimes against the unarmed bahraini people, and I just can't believe how the interior minister has the audacity to claim otherwise. Unlike pakistan, iran is a country where its people swell with dignity, self respect and share a genuine concern for their countrymen and the people of their faith (in bahrain n elsewhere). These actions on the part of pakistan are just another dark chapter of its sordid and sorry history.

Not-for-Sale | 12 years ago | Reply Pakistan's earlier partnership with Saudi failed badly in Afghanistan when no-one else in the world accepted the Taliban regime and ultimately after the 9/11 the regime ran away into Pakistan when it was bombed. Pakistan is still paying the price for it. The new Saudi-Pak partnership in Bahrain and initiatives in Afghanistan will fail as both are reportedly on the weak and unsustainable footings. The role of Pakistan in the middle-east protests is widely suggested to be pro-people vs pro-kings, and Pakistan, a nuclear power, should act like a souverin nation instead of always 'up-for-sale' so that respect of its citizens is earned locally, regionally and thus globally.

pakarmy | 12 years ago | Reply this report is false 5000 pakistani troops were stationed in bahrain to protect the royal family do whatever you want iran pakistan is a sunni country and will do all it can to protect sunnis all over the world

Meekal Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply Pacify all you want. Pakistan has rushed to send mercenaries to kill. Face up to it. We are for hire when the price is right. Reminds me of Gen Zia in Jordan.

Replying to X