The Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) emergency
summits called by Saudi Arabia are to be held on Thursday, a day before the
long-scheduled OIC summit. It is not yet clear how many countries will take
part in the emergency gatherings, but Qatar which has been boycotted by a
Saudi-led alliance has been invited to attend the GCC meeting.
Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016 after protesters
stormed Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran following its execution of a
prominent Shia cleric. The OIC summit will address "current issues in the
Muslim world" and "recent developments in a number of OIC member
states", the official agenda states. Saudi Arabia and its allies have
repeatedly accused Iran of interfering in the affairs of other countries,
including Bahrain, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, by supporting and arming
fighters.
Qatar has grown closer to Iran, while Kuwait has expressed
concern over Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz. Oman, which has
good ties with both Iran and the United States, has said it and other parties
"seek to calm tensions" between the two countries. Ahead of the
summits, Iran's top diplomats have been touring the region, including Iraq,
Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Iran, which shares a border with Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Iraq and Turkey, also has good relations with Ankara and Islamabad.
I am obliged to refer to an Editorial published in one of Pakistan’s leading English
newspaper and Dawn on 26th May 2019 that needs to be read by all
Pakistanis very carefully and dispassionately. I have often asserted that
Pakistan’s neighbors are turning hostile because the successive governments
have been following the US foreign policy agenda, without taking into account
the deprecations.
Dawn has rightly highlighted the need for serious
deliberations because of the threat of a catastrophic conflict between the US
and Iran looming larger over the region. It is encouraging that the incumbent
government appears to be making a considerable diplomatic effort to defuse
simmering tensions between the two countries.
On last Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif
concluded his two-day trip to
Pakistan with an encouraging message from Pakistan’s civil and military
leadership — that maximum restraint must be exercised in the prevailing
situation as any conflict in an already volatile region could threat global
peace and stability. Zarif expressed his satisfaction with Pakistan’s view that
US pressure on Iran was unjustified. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood
Qureshi also emphasized the need for a resolution of the crisis through
dialogue.
It is evident from Zarif’s comments as well as Prime
Minister Imran Khan’s earlier visit to Tehran that the incumbent government is
making an effort to avoid taking sides. It is by no means an easy situation,
given Pakistan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
both have been generous in extending monetary support to Pakistan. The
situation becomes even more difficult to handle, when there is internal and
external pressure.
In 2015, parliament’s decision against sending troops to
support the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen was a brave step but the current
scenario could test the limits of that position. Pakistan’s relationship with
Saudi Arabia runs deep. The countries also enjoy strategic and military
cooperation. If the warm reception and vows of solidarity during the Saudi
crown prince’s February visit are anything to go by, it will not be easy to
stay neutral in the face of a request for support from Riyadh.
In this situation, the guiding principle should be to resist
any external pressure in the best interest of the country as well as the region.
Pakistan has successfully avoided supporting any side during Iran-Iraq war and
the ongoing Yemen conflict. Therefore, Pakistan must remain steadfast in
protecting its own interests, while making the best efforts to resolve the
conflict between the two Muslim countries.
Islamabad should use whatever little influence it has on
Iran to demonstrate that it (Iran) is not directly involved in the Yemeni
conflict. Or, if the OIC countries push for a strong anti-Iran stance, Pakistan
must articulate its position in a way that is not offensive, while pointing out
that the ultimate beneficiary of a war would be Israel. A diplomatic approach
would involve a proactive move to counsel its warring allies and make note of
positive statements coming from Washington or Tehran.
With strained relationships with two of its immediate but
hostile neighbors, India and Afghanistan, Pakistan cannot afford another war in
the region. If US-Iran conflict breaks into war, it could put Pakistan’s
security into serious jeopardy.
