Dr Muhammad Khan
HISTORICALLY, Pakistan has been a great advocate of unity among Muslims. In order to undertake this gigantic task, successive Pakistani leadership have always tried to mediate, negotiate and facilitate the brother countries to adopt a path of peace and reconciliation for the common good of countries involved in conflict(s). Pakistan considers a conflict between Muslim countries would allow the enemies of Muslims to exploit them for their vested interests. With the same intent, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Imran Khan has assumed a role of facilitator between Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Islamic Republic of Iran. Both are brotherly Muslim countries and Pakistan enjoyed an excellent relationship with both countries. Pakistan considers that the nature of differences between SA and IRI are not that complicated, as exploited by the extra-regional powers, which always engineered conflicts between Muslims particularly between Saudi Arabia and Iran with malevolent intent. In the first phase of his visit, Prime Minister had a detailed discussion with Iranian leadership about a likely patch-up between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The leadership of Iran was found willing for an end of conflict with Saudi Arabia. Indirectly, the Iranian leadership has asked for some preconditions, to be fulfilled by the Kingdom before such a deal to be negotiated. Ending the Yemen conflict was the central point of Iranian demands.
In this regard Iran would like; a cease-fire in Yemen, with immediate effects to undertake humanitarian assistance followed by dialogue between warring factions of Yemen and establishing an inclusive government there. There cannot be another thought or option other than these four points, Iran has been emphasizing since 2017. Yemen has been ruined in the last four years of conflict and there is an immediate need for the end of hostilities in this war-ridden country. The people of Yemen need to come out from intra and interstate clashes, which destroyed everything there. Finding a positive response from Islamic Republic of Iran, Imran Khan had an in-depth meeting with King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman in Riyadh on 15/16 October 2019. Saudi leadership, especially the Crown Prince has already requested Prime Minister for a patch-up between both Muslim States. Crown Prince is against any conflict in the region, as he stated in one of his interviews that, Kingdom would never like a war or a conflict in the region since it will cause global economic crisis.
Under the changing geopolitical environment, Pakistani leadership clearly understand the emerging scenario in the larger West Asia (Middle East) and especially around the Persian Gulf region. Indeed, the Middle East has become a centre of global power play; where great powers are physically war gamming their military strategies. The United States is allergic to any influence in the region by Russia and China, thus has created ground for the heavy military deployment in and around the Persian Gulf, while already having its Central Command Headquarters in the region. After having ruined Iraq, Libya, Syria,Yemen and provoking the revolutions like Arab Spring, the global power centres are in the process of further destabilizing the region with Saudi-Iran conflict. Besides, the enemies of Islam and Muslims are all out to destroy all those countries having strong military powers by provoking ethnic outfits like Kurds. Turkey has been entangled into a broader regional war with multiple states and non-state actors. Turkey has been tangled into Syrian war, it has been entangled into a cold war with Saudi Arabia and other regional states and above all it has been involved into a war with Kurds; the Syrian Kurds on one side and Turkish Kurds on the other. The superpower desire this only left over Muslim Middle Eastern Military Power to suffer to an absolute level. Indeed, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had drifted from the traditional role of obeying the NATO alliance.
The drivers of NATO would not like continuation of Tayyip Erdogan as the President of this Muslim state having dual status; Asian and European. Indeed, for over a decade, Tayyip Erdogan and his political party had shown a clear leaning towards Muslims world, adopting Islamic teachings as a way of life and politics. He was being seen as a beacon of hope for revival of Muslim unity, thus is being disciplined. In a recent development, President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on Turkey, after dragging it into this unending conflict. “The United States of America simply is not going to tolerate Turkey’s invasion of Syria any further. We are calling on Turkey to stand down, end the violence and come to the negotiating table.” Whereas, US is behind all the instability in the entire Middle Eastern region which include; killing of Arab masses, massive humanitarian crises in Syria, provoking wars, exploiting the regional states and providing them with huge war munitions for revival of its own war industry. Pakistan has assumed for itself a great job of uniting the Muslim world by reducing their differences. Prime Minister Khan and his team must go all out to bridge the gulf between Saudi Arabia and Iran, since a patch-up between them would pave the way for bringing peace and stability in the larger Muslim world and Middle Eastern region. The leadership of the Kingdom and Iran must respond positively to the Pakistani negotiations before it is too late.
— The writer, a retired Brig, is Professor of Politics and International Relations at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
