policy of the three generals damaged Pakistan.
According to Sethi, Saudi Arabia is afraid of Shia Iran which is currently supporting Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. In this scenario, Riyadh is feeling being encircled by the Shia Islam. Saudi Arabia had always considered itself an ally of the US which is now going to strike a deal with Iran on the nuclear issue. And therefore, the US stance on Iran isn’t like the past or that of Saudi Arabia.
Despite severe pressure by Saudis and Israel, the US doesn’t want to bomb the Iranian atomic facilities because that would unite the Muslim world, while forgetting the Shia-Sunni differences. Hence, Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes on Yemen are meant to pressurise the US and show its power in the region.
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is also nervous because of the internal threats, as the brand of Islam that it had exported is now a threat to the Kingdom itself in the shape of Al-Qaeda and Isis. In fact, Isis’ interpretation of religion is more extremism-based than that of Saudis. Also, 40 per cent of the Saudi armed forces personnel are of Yemeni origin and that’s why Riyadh looks towards Pakistan for the army.
Sethi said the MQM claimed that they had no relation with Saulat Mirza. But the MQM had a long relationship with Saulat and had also tried to expel him from the party; however, the MQM was trying to distance itself amid the situation developing after the confessional statement of Saulat, he added.
He revealed that in 2007, the then attorney general Malik Qayyum had met Altaf Hussain in London, where the MQM chief had asked him to urge Pervez Musharraf to convert Saulat’s death sentence to life imprisonment, but that didn’t happen.
About the ICC Cricket World Cup, he said the Aussies were the favourites to grab the trophy. The event had produce two stars - Wahab Riaz and Sarfaraz Ahmed - for Pakistan, while Waqar Younas had been able to tune the pace bowlers; however, the batting line up didn’t perform and needed attention, he added.