Speakers not enthusiastic about US-led Gulf alliance

Seminar on new relationship 

ISLAMABAD: Former defence  secretary Lt Gen (retd) Khalid  Naeem Lodhi has said that all  Saudi and Iranian-financed  madaris and religious institutions  must be closed down  forthwith if we want to end terrorism  in Pakistan.  Lodhi was replying to questions  at a seminar on “Regional  challenges and prospects -- Pakistan,  Iran and Gulf countries relations”  organised by the Centre  for Global & Strategic Studies  here onWednesday.  He observed that the new  military alliance in Gulf will not  succeed. He said putting a commander  in chief over the army  of another country is like planting  a full grown tree from a forest  into a desert.  Former ambassador Khalid  Mahmood said that the TAPI gas  pipeline project is not going to  materialise because of unstable  situation in Afghanistan. He suggested  that Pakistan should instead  give more importance to  the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.  He said that Iran had built the  pipeline up to its border city but  we were far behind. He warned  that Pakistan will have to pay  fine if we did not complete it.  Former foreign secretary  AkramZaki said thatwe are creating  bad relationswith Iran. He  said that Huntington’s theory  has been modified from Clash  of Civilisation to Clashwithin Islamic  Civilisation whereas  Christians are closing their  ranks. He said that West is not  against Islam but against political  Islam. He said that the  process started with Iranian  Revolution. He endorsed the  view of other speakers that we  should have not gone into the  Gulf alliance and should dissociate  from it.  In his address, he said that  Muslim West Asia is in turmoil  and facing multiple conflicts in  which major world powers, regional  states and non-state actors  of various shades are fighting  battles in different  directions. He said it is difficult  to identify who are allies and  who are adversaries.  Another speaker said that as  per Trump’s statement in Riyadh,  the new alliance is against Iran  and Russia is an ally of Iran.  Where do we stand then?  Ambassador Khalid Aziz  Babar said that due to proximity  with oil-rich countries in its  west, Pakistan always remained  a point of interest for the global  powers. Answering a question,  he said that people cross border  from Pakistan into Iran in their  efforts to go to Turkey and Europe.  Similarly, there must be  people crossing into Pakistan  fromIranian border also and efforts  including fixing barbed  wire should be made to stop  this illegal migration to thwart  terrorists penetrating into Pakistan.  Maj Gen (retd) Khalid A Jaffery  said that Pakistan always  enjoyed cordial tieswith the the  Gulf states and Iran. He said  that Tehran and Islamabad had  been economic and strategic  partners. Despite ups and  downs, they stayed at positive  note. He said that our expatriates  work in the Gulf countries  andwe have religious affiliation  with Saudi Arabia in particular.  Former ambassador Amjad  Majid Abbasi said that more  talks and discussions on the  topic under discussion are required.  Lt Gen (retd) Zahir ul Islam,  former ISI DG and Chairperson  of CGSS, said that Pakistan is  being handled by the people  whom you chose to govern. He  said that he, fromhis past background,  knew that people don’t  speak in meetings. They must  speak, he exhorted.  He thanked the audience  and speakers in the end.