Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif meets Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz at PM House, Islamabad on February 17, 2014. PHOTO: PID
In some ways this seems like a practical solution, given the US involvement in the country and the need to rescue it from a protracted war which has seen some terrible abuses committed on either side. But there are complications. With sectarian factors a key element in Syria, a country that has in the past suffered as a result, Iran will not be pleased with Islamabad’s alignment with Riyadh. The tensions between the two neighbouring countries are already beginning to show, with Tehran angrily protesting the alleged kidnapping of border guards posted along its frontier with Pakistan. The insinuations from the Saudis that Iranian forces were entering Syria would not have helped at all.
We must also hope that Pakistan is acting out of conviction, and not on the basis of expediency or the need to obtain defence contracts and other help offered by the Saudis. It should have studied the complex Syrian situation carefully, and reached its own conclusions given the abuses committed by all players in the conflict. We hope this has happened, rather than being a case of simply blindly following Riyadh. The primary focus of all efforts must be to re-establish calm in Syria, for the sake of its people. All friends of that country need to move towards this goal. An interim government may indeed help serve this purpose, but only if matters are carefully thought through. Islamabad and Riyadh’s cooperation is welcome, but all the other complicating factors need to be thought about too, given the sensitivities and complexities of the Syrian situation and all that it involves for the region and for Pakistan’s foreign relations.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2014.
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Pakistan should first sort out their own country, which we have not been able to do. The Saudi's should sort out theirs. Muslim countries are in a total mess, they know that better than others. Pakistan tried to sort out East Pakistan, tried to sort out Kashmir, tried to sort out Afghanistan, and look where we are, Baluchistan has gone, Sindh in a mess, K.P. writhing in pain from daily bomb blasts, terror attacks. Iran wants to sort out Pakistan because of abduction of their security personnel. The less said about the Saudi's the better. Muslim countries have to be more honest with themselves, more honest with their own people. Leave the power games to America and Russia, concentrate on education, concentrate on human resource development, leave religion to the almighty. That would take care of 99percent of our problems.
...between a rock and a hard place. No easy choices for Pakistan. But it need not have gone to endorse the Saudi plan at a time when some serious efforts are being made to find a diplomatic solution.
Pakistan has no business meddling in Syria. The last Nawaz government will prove to be a disaster for Pakistan, and may lead to Pakistan's undoing.