Imran Khan has been boxed into a tight corner as the Saudi-UAE duo has called the bluff on Pakistan trying to be too clever by half with Turkey
Last year, visiting Arab princes from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) were given Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s privileged treatment of personally chauffeuring them in a bit to dial up charm offensives. Pakistan’s situation was precarious as its coffers were dangerously depleted and in dire need of Arab largesse. Also embarrassingly for Pakistan, both monarchies had just expressed displeasure at the Pulwama terror attack. While the princes did loosen their purse strings and provide generous financial support, something was amiss. Soon the UAE announced its highest civilian award, i.e. Order of Zayed, for the Indian Prime Minister for boosting “comprehensive strategic ties.” A few years earlier, the Saudis had conferred their highest award, King Abdulaziz Sash, on the Indian Prime Minister.
Whispers of Pakistani unreliability and undercutting were gaining credence in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi – the Arab monarchies were picking signs of trapeze artist Imran Khan’s growing dalliances with their nemesis of Turkey, Malaysia, Qatar and Iran. In the imploding world of Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), fissures have developed, and new power centres are emerging to the discomfiture of Saudi-UAE led Gulf Sheikhdoms. Within that churn, Pakistan is no longer perceived as a dependable ally.
This sudden dissonance was contrary to Pakistan’s traditional status as Saudi Arabia’s “closest Muslim ally.” From supporting Pakistan in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, opposing the creation of Bangladesh, supporting Pakistani machinations in Afghanistan and Kashmir, to even supposedly funding the “Islamic Bomb,” the Saudis were once the most generous Pakistani supporters. Pakistanis had reciprocated by providing security to Saudi Arabia in terms of military, training and weaponry, as also affording the singular honour of taking Riyadh into confidence before conducting its atomic tests. The Saudis also entrusted the former Pakistani Military Chief, General Raheel Sharif, to lead the Riyadh-based 41 nation, Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC). UAE was part of this triumvirate and had conjointly recognised the Pak-backed Taliban government in Afghanistan and was the only country along with Saudi Arabia to hail the Pakistani atomic tests as a “bold decision.” Also, energy, commerce and expat repatriation made both these Sheikhdoms life-sustaining for governments in Islamabad. Above all, the co-religiosity and the Shariaisation project of Pakistani dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq, in the 80s was principally funded and abetted by these two nations. UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed, used to consider Pakistan his second home and when Dubai’s airline Emirates was launched, it was Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that the Emiratis turned to. The cash-rich Arab royalty was feted and they treated beholden Pakistan as their backyard, with private houbara grouse hunting trips arranged for their princelings.
But the times soon changed and new considerations and urgencies kicked in with the “war on terror,” Arab Spring, deepening of sectarian faultlines and the independent assertion of countries like Turkey. But Pakistan refused to change its ways and was embarrassingly caught harbouring global terrorist Osama Bin Laden till he was “taken out” and continued playing havoc in Kashmir and Afghanistan. Pakistan also refused to participate in the Saudi-UAE’s war in Yemen, fearing sectarian repercussions on its own soil, to the chagrin of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. But Pakistan’s unpardonable undoing with the Saudi-UAE duo was its growing proximity with Turkey and assuming over-enthusiastically that it could now flex its muscle within the ummah with the support of Turkey. While countries like Turkey, Malaysia, Qatar and Iran have historically claimed “fraternal” relations with Pakistan – they are nothing compared to the financial, energy, diplomatic and strategic support that had been given by the Arab duo. Imran Khan had ungratefully partaken the opportunity to cock a snook at his biggest benefactors.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood cuttingly accused the Saudi-led OIC of “dilly-dallying” on Kashmir and in an unprecedented manner alluded to breaking ranks by saying, “I’ll be compelled to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir.” The Arab duo noted the implied import of the loaded statement that intended to shame them and repercussions soon followed.
They decided to halt their crucial three-year aid plan to Pakistan after just a year. They repeatedly snubbed Pakistan on Kashmir. UAE faced the wrath of “Boycott UAE” trending on Pakistani social media, as it was postured that only Turkey “stood by” Islamabad. To make matters worse for an increasingly isolated Pakistan, UAE has now recognised Israel and that has weakened Pakistan’s ability to rake up issues like Palestine and more specifically, Kashmir, as the practicalities of the looming economic crisis, fight against Covid pandemic, fight against extremism and quest for regional peace override all manufactured passions of Islamabad. Pakistan’s duplicity of terror is globally established and its ability to run with the hare and hunt with the hound on terrorism in Kashmir is becoming indefensible for one-time allies like Saudi Arabia and UAE, who seek progressive equations with the West, India and even Israel. Meanwhile, Pakistan is harping and walking the opposite direction of revisionism and religious extremism.
It has tried to mend fences by dispatching the Chief of the Army Staff to Riyadh but Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman refused to meet General Qamar Bajwa. Imran Khan is boxed into a tight corner as the Saudi-UAE duo has called the bluff on Pakistan trying to be too clever by half with Turkey and has made normalcy conditional to Islamabad reneging on Ankara. Abandoning Turkey at this stage will lead to a loss of face for Pakistan as it will count as yet another act of Pakistan’s patented untrustworthiness and unreliability. Clearly Imran Khan has bitten more than he can chew – he remains saddled with a flailing economy, disrupted aid lifelines, isolation among his traditional allies and a selfish agenda of Kashmir, in which not too many are interested. The proverbial chickens are coming home to roost as Pakistan mulls over yet another botched act of biting the hand that fed it.
(The author is former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry)
