Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz. PHOTO: REUTERS
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz has admitted that Pakistan is trying to sell small arms and combat aircraft to Saudi Arabia. However, he added that every country sells arms and as Pakistan has a booming arms industry, there are no grounds for criticism.
In an interview with the BBC on Tuesday, when asked about sending arms to Syria, Aziz said there was no Syria-specific agreement at present. “It is very sad that some people are spreading rumours about a couple of countries who want to help Pakistan. Whatever the previous military regimes did with the money they received [from these countries] is history and has nothing to do with us. .”
Saudi Arabia had also helped Pakistan after the nuclear tests in 1998, he said but added that not even a single Saudi minister visited Pakistan during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Peoples Party-led government. Therefore, Pakistan wants to strike a balance in its relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran as ties with both countries have been at low ebb for the last five years, Sartaj explained.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may visit Iran in May or June, he announced. “[Cordial relations with and between the two countries] are necessary for unity among the Muslim Ummah. The increasing sectarian divide is detrimental to the Muslim world.”
Elaborating on the country’s foreign policy, he insisted that it was independent. “We shall continue the policy of non-interference. We shall correct our internal matters,” the adviser said. “In the past, we interfered to serve the agenda of another country. We have been impartial and will remain impartial on issues that do not directly concern us.”
About the generous $1.5 billion aid, he said, “The previous government left a big difference in the government’s budget and the balance of payments. Pakistan really needed it.”
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2014.
COMMENTS (28)
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SO what happened to this deal about Saudis buying those marvels of Pakistani technology - JTF Thunderfarts. Oor are they not flying any more?
@Dharam Bahl:
" Pakistan was able to develop its nuclear technology and possess nuclear arsenal. Now one wonders If Mr. Aziz’s statement has anything to do to pass on some nuclear arsenal to the Saudis to pay off the debt. Is it possible – may be? "
There, that is probably the right answer.
@Dharam Bahl: As we all know, the immediate security threat to the Saudis is from Iran which is armed to the teeth with its indigenous as well as Russian and Chinese hardware.
Well I never knew that a country sitting on 1960s Russian and Chinese weaponry is called armed to teeth. And probably Iran is the only country on the map of this planet to test a "new weaon" every month. They make a mock copy of obsolete US F-5 and term it better than F-18s. They make such jokes regularly because it provides them with the propaganda advantage,
Its unfortunate how much support there is in the comments for promoting the merchant of death business. Whether or not everyone from the US, China, Sweden, India, Russia, Israel, Canada, Iran, Germany, Saudi Arabia, etc is hypocritically and insanely exporting (or importing) lethal weapons to questionable regimes and nations worldwide for selfish national/economic interests, there really should be some joint effort to reign in this global malice that is used against people and costing their lives.
Mr. Aziz very hesitatingly admitting that Pakistan is 'trying' to sell small arms to the Saudi is a matter which needs little bit probing. To start with, one wonders what type of state-of-the-art armaments Pakistan is able to manufacture which Saudi will be looking for? Yes, due to strained relationship between the Saudi and the USA, the former is seeking to purchase military hardware from other sources to be able to compete with its neighbors in case of any eventuality. As we all know, the immediate security threat to the Saudis is from Iran which is armed to the teeth with its indigenous as well as Russian and Chinese hardware. Is Mr. Aziz insinuating that the hardware being supplied to the Saudi is competitive to what Iran has in its possession? Definitely not. We also know that it is the infusion of cash from the Saudis exchequer which is keeping Pakistan float so far. With the help of Saudis' fund, Pakistan was able to develop its nuclear technology and possess nuclear arsenal. Now one wonders If Mr. Aziz's statement has anything to do to pass on some nuclear arsenal to the Saudis to pay off the debt. Is it possible - may be? If so, Is Saudi Arabia gearing up to become a nuclear possessed state in the Middle East? If Pakistan is found to be doing what this writer is assuming, it will definitely strengthen the hands of Iranian government to develop nuclear bomb at the earliest because they will not like to get caught off hand in any military scuffle with the Saudis. Therefore, before it happens, it is the responsibility of the western nations, especially the USA, to apply pressure on Pakistan not to be conducive in the proliferation of nuclear stuff and stop this supply of arsenal to the Saudis.
This Johny is still around going about and representing Pakistan Prime Minister at feasts and dinner parties?
Rex Minor
@Farhan: Well Hezbullah and Hammas have been using Chinese weapons (or iranian copies of those) and I never saw Chinese getting dragged into these.
Now so called liberals will cry like babies. Pakistan has good arms industry then why they shouldn't sell it? It is not Pakistan's responsibility to control where these arms are going. US, Russia and other western countries heavily rely on their arms industry.
Are these the same arms that could not infiltrate kashmir?
After so many virsions, here is the final story for consumption!!!
Every country sells arms - just as any other trade.... but none of those goes around announcing that they are trying to sell arms... these things always come out but the nature of that business is things are done a bit covertly!
So What. One of the most lucrative business is selling arms and has been the cornerstone for not only significant revenue streams for a country but also responsible for funding/enabling new technologies which we take for granted today i.e. Internet we have today was given birth in DARPA labs a part of US Military Establishment.
@AR:
'Begging' as you call it is kind of a necessity for us no matter how much you want to deny it - it's a sad situation indeed. The majority of our budget is eaten up by the military (and of course, no one dares call it a waste) and tax revenues are far too low to sustain social development. The majority are too poor to pay taxes, the middle classes try to avoid paying them and the business tycoons who should be providing the bulk of it are effectively above paying taxes and no one dares question them. So taking realistic issues in perspective, it's important where that 'begging' money comes from.
Tbh he is right in saying that every country sells arms to other countries if they have a good arms industry.
Like it maintained a balance between the Taliban and US?
when iran can sell arms to syria and openly claim that they should have sent hezbollah earlier why cant we sell arms to saudia arabia ?
have the guts to post my comment
Liberal or conservative, both have a begging mentality in Pakistan. If aid comes from West, conservative make noise and if it comes from Arabs then liberals make noise. At the end of the day, beggars is more suitable term for our liberals and conservatives.
Sir, are these small arms Pakistan is planning to sell of the fission / fusion kind ? Just an innocent question since for $ 1.5 Billion most of the small arms floating around the wprld can be purchased.
Truth revealed in fine print!