Gulf countries do not need Pakistan, Pakistan needs them: Kuwaiti daily
Editorial says Pakistan's claim to protect sacred Islamic sites is 'political blackmail'
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif is greeted on his arrival in Riyadh by his Saudi counterpart Prince Mohammad bin Salman al Saud. PHOTO: PID
A font page editorial in Kuwaiti paper Al Seyassah on Sunday criticised Pakistan for taking a neutral stance in the Yemen crisis, the UAE's Gulf News reported.
“The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries do not need Pakistan. In fact, Pakistan needs them in various areas,” the editor-in-chief of the paper Ahmad al Jarallah wrote. “The GCC can defend its security, particularly following the alliance with other countries such as Jordan and Egypt.”
Read: Pakistan's decision is dangerous and unexpected, says UAE foreign minister
Pakistan had bowed to Iran, the editor went on to write, because it feared being defeated by the Iranian religious leadership.
“Pakistan needs to look carefully at the Iranian plots, especially its attempt to scare the world with its military capabilities.”
Accusing Pakistan of political blackmail, the editorial said that “the Pakistani stance that was adopted through the parliament’s decision to remain neutral has dropped the blackmail masks about protecting sacred Islamic sites and sharing a common destiny with Muslim countries.”
Read: UAE's warning to Pakistan unacceptable and ironic, says Nisar
“The slogans were merely political blackmailing tools and Pakistan thought it could use them to feed its crisis-hit economy,” al Jarallah wrote.
“There is no doubt that the Pakistani leadership has made a mistake by betting on Iran, and even its fear from Tehran is not grounded in reality since the Iranian claims about military and missile capabilities and the nuclear programme are not more than a game,” al Jarallah said.
Read: UAE minister’s threat prompts angry rebuke
The criticism comes only days after UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammad Gargash said that Pakistan’s decision to not join the Saudi-led coalition was “dangerous and unexpected”. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had responded to the UAE minister’s statements, terming them “unacceptable” and a “violation of all diplomatic norms”.
This story originally appeared in Gulf News
“The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries do not need Pakistan. In fact, Pakistan needs them in various areas,” the editor-in-chief of the paper Ahmad al Jarallah wrote. “The GCC can defend its security, particularly following the alliance with other countries such as Jordan and Egypt.”
Read: Pakistan's decision is dangerous and unexpected, says UAE foreign minister
Pakistan had bowed to Iran, the editor went on to write, because it feared being defeated by the Iranian religious leadership.
“Pakistan needs to look carefully at the Iranian plots, especially its attempt to scare the world with its military capabilities.”
Accusing Pakistan of political blackmail, the editorial said that “the Pakistani stance that was adopted through the parliament’s decision to remain neutral has dropped the blackmail masks about protecting sacred Islamic sites and sharing a common destiny with Muslim countries.”
Read: UAE's warning to Pakistan unacceptable and ironic, says Nisar
“The slogans were merely political blackmailing tools and Pakistan thought it could use them to feed its crisis-hit economy,” al Jarallah wrote.
“There is no doubt that the Pakistani leadership has made a mistake by betting on Iran, and even its fear from Tehran is not grounded in reality since the Iranian claims about military and missile capabilities and the nuclear programme are not more than a game,” al Jarallah said.
Read: UAE minister’s threat prompts angry rebuke
The criticism comes only days after UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammad Gargash said that Pakistan’s decision to not join the Saudi-led coalition was “dangerous and unexpected”. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had responded to the UAE minister’s statements, terming them “unacceptable” and a “violation of all diplomatic norms”.
This story originally appeared in Gulf News