Dr Mehmood-ul-Hassan Khan
PAKISTAN has close “brotherly” relationship with Saudi Arabia. The two countries “accompaniment” each other in their difficult times. Rapidly changing geopolitical and geostrategic incidents in the region and around the globe have somehow created minor diplomatic spat between them in the near past. Fortunately, it has now been rectified as Prime Minister Imran Khan played down differences with longtime partner Saudi Arabia by saying two countries had no differences. It showed that both countries have close economic, political, cultural and military ties. In this context, Bajwa’s doctrine is now at its best, spreading message of regional peace and harmony by removing barriers of distrust and disharmony. Whether it is Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, UAE or Saudi Arabia, Army Chief, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, has been successfully playing a vital role of further strengthening of bilateral relations through dialogue and diplomacy. His “outreach” ability and ever-ready “plug-in” orientation has created “strategic cushions” for Pakistan.
Most recently, mismatching expectations created some minor “hiccup” between the two brotherly countries due to which COAS General Bajwa paid personal visit to Saudi Arabia during which he held talks with Saudi Deputy Minister for Defence Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and discussed bilateral defence cooperation and regional security. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), matters of mutual interest including bilateral defence and security cooperation and regional security were discussed. Prince Khalid, who is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s younger brother, said we discussed bilateral relations, military cooperation and our common vision for preserving regional security during the meeting. During his stay General Bajwa also met with Chief of General Staff Gen Fayiadh bin Ha’med Al-Rowaily and Commander of Joint Forces Lt Gen Fahad bin Turki Al Saud during which military ties were discussed.
Accompanied by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa’s visit to Saudi Arabia was a “testament” to the enduring strong relations between the two countries. While giving routine briefing Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri termed bilateral relations between two countries as “strategic”, “time-tested” and “mutually” benefited. He further labeled it unchanged fraternal relations and close contact. Meanwhile, Saudi’s public diplomacy is also getting momentum in Pakistan. Saudi Arabia has mobilized its Ambassador Saeed Al-Maliki. The Saudi envoy has held various meetings with Speaker Asad Qaiser, Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, other key government officials, prominent politicians, senators and religious leaders to show solidarity with Pakistan and its people. The sources said chances of “religious diplomacy” are high and Prime Minister Khan may perform Umrah during which he may meet Saudi leadership.
The KSA state news agency reported that to show solidarity with Islamic world and especially, highlighting the “just” cause of struggling Palestinian people most recently, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz told United States President Donald Trump that his country wanted to see a “fair” and “permanent” solution for the Palestinians, which was the starting point for its 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. During a telephonic conversation King Salman appreciated US efforts to support peace and that Saudi Arabia wanted to see a fair and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue based on its Arab Peace Initiative.
According to the Saudi Arabia’s proposal, Arab nations have offered Israel normalized ties in return for a statehood deal with the Palestinians and full Israeli withdrawal from territories captured in the 1967 Arab-Israel War. Even Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman while meeting with Kushner discussed the need for the “recognition” of Palestinians rights and “resumption” of negotiations which showed Saudi Arabia’s principled stance towards resolution of burning issue of Palestine in a peaceful manner without any discrimination. Even during this week, Saudi Arabia once again reasserted its stance in an Arab League meeting and supported all efforts to reach a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that Riyadh supported the establishment of a Palestinian State based on the borders before the 1967 Middle East War with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are, undoubtedly, “strategic partners” and brothers in terms of socio-economic, geo-politics and geo-strategic befitting propositions. Cataclysms in the Middle East, withdrawal of allied forces from Afghanistan and above all war against terror have already given new magnitudes to bilateral ties of both the countries. There is an urgent need to reactivate Joint Economic Commission (JEC) & Joint Business Council (JBC) to discuss the various proposals for cooperation in trade, economy, investment and energy. In this regard, an early finalization of Pakistan-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) may play a decisive role. Enhanced cooperation in the fields of military production, collaboration, training and exercise would be mutually beneficial. Pakistan may also pursue Saudi’s investment in the fields of livestock, agro-based industries and food security.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia need to enhance bilateral trade to reflect the strong fraternal bonds that exist between them by holding regular meetings between the Commerce Ministers to explore ways of enhancing bilateral trade. Being prominent regional expert of Saudi Arabia & GCC, I suggest that there is an urgent need to start a new strategic relationship between our two countries for the further broadening and deepening of the existing cordial relations. Both countries must have Joint Security Shield (JSS), energy cooperation, food security, joint strategy against terrorism and last but not the least extremism. Above all, the two countries must initiate concerted efforts to bring peace to the region especially in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
—The writer is Director, Geopolitics/Economics Member Board of Experts, CGSS.
