The recent comments of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi regarding Saudi Arabia in the context of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting gave rise to wild speculations about a potential diplomatic crisis between the two countries. His public statement that Pakistan would bypass the OIC and convene a meeting of Turkey, Malaysia and other Muslim countries, including Iran, to discuss India’s latest move in Kashmir was justifiably not well received by the Kingdom and other Arab countries.
Saudi Arabia was disturbed that its principled position on Kashmir was questioned and linked to their decision to render economic support to Pakistan. After all, Saudi Arabia has always endorsed the OIC position on Kashmir and stood by it.
Pakistan’s leadership needs to accept the reality that most of Arab and Muslim countries have strong political, economic and strategic ties with India. It is not surprising that Saudi Arabia has the largest presence of Indian expatriates and has a multifaceted relationship with New Delhi. This is a common feature of an interdependent world. Saudi Arabia is also India’s major oil supply source.
Diferences among Muslim countries place greater responsibility on Pakistan to conduct its foreign and security policies in a way that minimizes such differences. It is not clear why FM Qureshi made the statement, but it was clearly not in sync with Pakistan’s official policy.
Given the sensitivity of the issue, the country’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and director general of Inter-Services Intelligence, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, made a recent visit to Saudi Arabia. It is expected that their interactions with the Kingdom's officials have removed any misgivings between the two allies and restored Pakistan’s strong links with Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, they must also have reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the security and solidarity of the Kingdom.
The Saudi-Pak relations go back to the time of the latter’s creation and are bound by mutual interests. There is complete unanimity among Pakistani political parties over the idea of maintaining strong bonds and fraternal relations with Saudi Arabia, and this consensus also enjoys full support of the people.
Most Pakistanis and successive governments of the country consider Saudi Arabia as an anchor for their own stability. Riyadh has also come to Pakistan’s rescue whenever the South Asian state found itself in a financial crisis.
During the last visit of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia extended an emergency package of approximately $6.3 billion with $3 billion as direct loan and $3.3 billion in the form of deferred oil payments. More significantly, Saudi Arabia also committed an investment of another $20 billion in the form of an oil refinery in Gwadar and signed several memoranda of understanding with the administration in Islamabad.
Pakistan considers Saudi Arabia’s security as its own. There is close cooperation between them on military training and intelligence sharing. Pakistan’s military personnel, retired as well as in uniform, contribute to the training and security duties in the Kingdom.
Talat Masood
This assistance preceded the IMF package, as Pakistan was still undecided about going to the agency for support.
The Saudi government also showed considerable interest in investing in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This was an exceptional gesture and is a manifestation of Saudi support and confidence in the long-term relationship between the two countries.
There have also been occasions in Pakistan’s turbulent political history when Saudi Arabia exerted its moderating influence to address political crises. Another factor that no Pakistani government can afford to overlook relates to the religious orientation of their people who greatly value their country’s bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan has also played a major role in supporting the Kingdom at various international forums. At the United Nations and other global platforms, the diplomats of the two countries have closely cooperated with each other. Mutual exchanges at the political and diplomatic levels have become a common feature of this relationship.
Pakistan also considers Saudi Arabia’s security as its own. There is close cooperation between them on military training and intelligence sharing. Pakistan’s military personnel, retired and those in uniform, contribute to the training and security duties in the Kingdom. The former chief of army staff, General Raheel Sharif, leads the Islamic Military Alliance that consists of more than forty countries to fight terrorism. This shows the level of mutual trust and cooperation that exists between the two states.
When the Grand Mosque seizure occurred in 1979 and armed militants took over al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, Pakistani forces played a significant role in defeating the insurgency. All Pakistani governments are committed to providing military assistance to Saudi Arabia in guarding Islam’s holiest places and the Kingdom’s borders.
Other than that, Pakistan has always tried to promote unity among Muslim countries. The second Islamic Summit Conference was held in 1974 in Lahore and Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto steered a highly successful conference of all Muslim countries. Despite their differences, the conference addressed major problems facing the Ummah, foremost being Palestine, Kashmir and underdevelopment.
Apart from the ideological, religious and political imperatives, Pakistan’s geographic location, population mix of Sunnis and Shias, and the India factor demand maintaining close ties with other Muslim countries. While maintaining close fraternal relations with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan should continue to promote harmony among Muslim states.
– Talat Masood is a retired Lieutenant General from Pakistan Army and an eminent scholar on national security and political issues.
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