Why Pakistan should have attended OIC moot

Diplomacy can neutralise adversaries with smart, carefully-crafted policies

ISLAMABAD: Diplomacy is an art of protecting core interests at bilateral and multilateral forums. It is also meant to deepen ties with allies, but at the same time neutralise adversaries with smart and carefully-crafted policies.

No nation needs to follow that approach more desperately than Pakistan does at a time when it is facing an aggressive neighbour.

The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has won applause even from critics for outshining the Modi administration in the current standoff triggered after tit-for-tat cross border attacks by India and Pakistan.

In the middle of this crisis, the foreign ministers of 57-member Organisation of Islamic countries (OIC) began a two-day huddle in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

For the first time Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swraj was invited as a ‘guest of honour’ by host the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Before the current escalation in tensions, Pakistan was quietly pushing the UAE to withdraw the invitation given the fact that the decision was taken without consulting other member countries.



The controversy came into the open after India violated Pakistan’s airspace on Tuesday and launched what it said were “preemptive strikes” targeting the alleged terrorist camps of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).

A day later, Pakistan retaliated with across the Line of Control air strikes. The Pakistani fighter jets not only shot down an Indian warplane but also took its pilot into custody.

As tensions further grew, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Pakistan would not attend the OIC moot if invitation to the Indian foreign minister was not withdrawn.

Despite hectic efforts, the UAE said since the invitation was extended before the Pulwama attack; hence, it was difficult to withdraw it now.

It prompted the foreign minister to write a letter to his UAE counterpart, explaining the reasons why he would be unable to attend the OIC conference.

He argued that India was not a member of the OIC and lacked an observer status. More importantly, he said India had a longstanding conflict with Pakistan, a founding member of the OIC.

He also pointed towards the Indian forces’ atrocities in occupied Kashmir and mistreatment of its minorities, including Muslims.



Qureshi may have raised the pertinent points but should not have skipped the meeting. First, because it allowed India a chance to score some brownie points at a time when it is struggling to deal with the blowback of its reckless approach in the wake of the Pulwama attack. Second, Pakistan could have used the OIC forum to further expose India and its policies.

The OIC was the only forum that strongly condemned the Indian incursion into Pakistan.

On top of it, the boycott must have not gone well with Saudi Arabia and UAE as both of them had recently aided Pakistan in overcoming its precarious economic situation.

It is believed that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman and the UAE ruler made personal efforts to convince Pakistan to attend the OIC meeting.

Pakistan has a genuine reason to be upset over the presence of India at the OIC, but there is another aspect perhaps the government has overlooked in making the final call.

India’s growing relationship with both Saudi Arabia and the UAE could work in Pakistan’s advantage. For example, close ties with India would give powerful Arab countries enough leverage to make it change its behaviour towards Pakistan.

In fact, many commentators in India are concerned about the way Saudi Arabia has assumed a centre stage in the current Indo-Pak tensions.

New Delhi, as we all know, has long opposed third party intervention.

In the past, countries such as the US and UK did play a role in defusing the crisis between the two countries. But given the bigger strategic picture, US can never be an honest broker. On the other hand, if countries like Saudi Arabia play such a role, Pakistan certainly would be at an advantage.

When the Saudi crown prince recently visited New Delhi, he refused to toe the Indian line against Pakistan. The joint statement, in fact, did not even mention the Pulwama attack. The only reference to Pakistan and India was the need for dialogue to resolve all issues, something Islamabad has been advocating for since long.

That’s why the decision was mindboggling because Saudi Arabia is believed to have been trying to mediate between Pakistan and India.

Given the current scenario, there is an unprecedented unity among all the political parties in the face of Indian belligerence, but one must not lose sight of the bigger picture.

Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson and former president Asif Ali Zardari rightly disagreed with the government’s decision to not attend the OIC conference.

“I feel Pakistan should have engaged the OIC as disengagement is not a solution. It will only drive India further.”

Zardari stressed OIC members were Pakistan’s friends. “I believe we should strengthen our ties with neighbours and allies.”