Pakistan’s Middle East policy

Letter March 01, 2014
Toeing Saudi Arabia’s line on Syria will bring us into direct conflict with Iran.

ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to Yasmeen Aftab Ali’s article published on February 25 titled “Deja vu”. Ms Ali is advising caution in Pakistan’s dealings in the Middle East, which I am sure this government will throw to the wind.

Toeing Saudi Arabia’s line on Syria will bring us into direct conflict with Iran. Syria and Iran have a strategic understanding to the extent that an attack on Syria will be considered an attack on Iran. What aggravates the complexity of the situation is that Russia has just a solitary naval base at Tartus throughout the whole of the Middle East and it will not want the situation to change. Pakistan must not under any circumstances involve itself in this hornet’s nest. We already have too much on our plate.

Munazza Khoso

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2014.

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