Zaheer Bhatti
YES Dr Awadh Asseri! This is precisely what is being echoed today by the Pakistani nation. While my column recognizes the great services rendered by you as Ambassador of the Saudi Kingdom to Pakistan in promoting Saudi-Pak relations during perhaps the longest stay of a diplomat in any country, having gone through your aptly-titled write-up about the historic fraternal and strategic relationship of our two nations, I am duty bound to summarize the reactions of my fellow-countrymen to your thoughts including my own, in keeping with the main title of my column, which I respectfully wish to reproduce. Any efforts to sabotage the historic partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, is Inshaallah doomed to failure provided that we frustrate the imperial trap being set around us.
Our relationship springs from the great edifice cemented by King Faisal during the historic Islamic summit in Lahore, Pakistan in 1974 with unforgettable images of the monarch during prayer congregation at the Badshahi Mosque which i had the privilege to produce over PTV. There is little denying that the bondage between the two nations has been built on reciprocity; Saudi Arabia helping with cash and deferred oil payments in difficult times and Pakistan reciprocating in kind with defence of the Kingdom; the caretakers of the House of God, whenever called upon. The Ummah without doubt looks to the founding father of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as does Pakistan; a member of the founding team.
Excellency! You will agree that the real test of a relationship are moments of trial as exemplified in Pakistan’s case by the People’s Republic of China, Turkey and Malaysia totally rejecting and condemning unilateral annexation and merger of the UN recognized disputed territory of Kashmir into the Indian Union by Modi’s Government. Thanking Erdogan of Turkey for his unflinching support, the Pakistani nation took its hats off to Mahatir Mohammad’s forthright stance which cost his country suspension of its major exports to India but the great leader refused to budge from his principled declaration. China which has taken its all-weather friendship with Pakistan to new heights both in cash and technology; more specifically with the game-changing CEPEC opening for mutual benefit of not just the two countries but all in the region and beyond, made it possible for the UN Security Council to take up the Kashmir issue thrice during a single year.
The worthy ex-Ambassador while recounting Saudi steps in furthering the Islamic bond, sadly misses out on recognizing the areas where it left a lot to be desired specifically in the context of Pakistan’s sensitivity with its core life and death Issue of Kashmir with India, besides the entire brotherhood at crucial moments. What this scribe is reproducing below are echoes of the heart in Pakistan which reverberate regardless of diplomatic niceties.
Pakistan’s relationship with Saudi Arabia appeared to peak with the body language of the two leaders; the visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, and Imran Khan personally driving the Royal Guest to the PM House during the former’s visit to Pakistan in February 2019. But unfortunately, only months later on the 5th of August the same year India carried out its nefarious plan of forced merger of Kashmir, divesting its population of their special rights pending resolution of the core Issue which had destabilized the entire region. And none else but Saudi Arabia and the UAE instead of condemning, decorated the Indian Prime Minister with their country’s highest Civil Award as if in recognition of what India was doing to the Muslims in general in India but more specifically to those in Kashmir paying in life and honour ever since independence; and ignoring that the same person after the Muslim massacre in Indian Gujrat and burning alive of Muslims aboard Samjhota Express, had been debarred by the US from entering the country. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which rather than using its clout of enormous investments in India to prevail upon it to first restrain and eventually undo its illegitimate move, failing which it ought to have taken a spontaneous and firm diplomatic position on behalf of the Islamic Ummah as Founder of the OIC, unfortunately instead, invited Indian Foreign Minister as Chief Guest at the OIC Foreign Ministers summit rubbing salt on Pakistani and Kashmiri wounds. Pakistan could barely cover its embarrassment in boycotting attendance by its Foreign Minister.
These are unforgettable moments of regret and frustration Pakistanis are echoing in the streets and over the media, which have only been translated by the Pakistani Foreign Minister whom the worthy Ex-Ambassador has chosen to single out and criticize. Shah MahmoodQureshi is under enormous pressure at home for not doing enough over Kashmir on the diplomatic front, and one sees nothing wrong in his asking Saudi Arabia to lead its Kashmir cause under the aegis of the OIC as its founding father. In a now or never situation where bilateralism has failed and brought the issue to its head with countless lives of Kashmiris and Pakistani Forces being laid, Pakistan can ill afford to let those sacrifices go in vain.
With Qureshi as a principled man which he amply displayed saying goodbye to his former political lineage a decade ago when he saw the country’s sovereignty being compromised over an issue, this was the least position he should have taken; that if the leader of the Ummah was to abstain or renege, there would be no other option but to go it alone with whoever comes to support. Pakistan stands for the unity of the Ummah to give it strength and substance which it has been craving to achieve by trying to bridge the Saudi-Iranian Gulf; far from what has been seen as dividing it with the proposed moot between Pakistan, Turkey and Malaysia in July 2019 in Kuala Lumpur aimed at boosting defence and development among these Muslim nations. How Mr Asseri! Should this have been seen as a divisive step!
—The writer is a media professional, member of Pioneering team of PTV and a veteran ex Director Programmes.
