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Thursday March 28, 2024

Balancing Act

By Akram Shaheedi
February 28, 2018

The government’s recent decision, over and above the Parliament, to send more than one thousand army contingents to Saudi Arabia in addition to the same number already in the Kingdom, has angered the lawmakers who want to know the urgency and rational of such hasty move when Yemen conflict has been getting worse by the days. Saudis and Iranians have been fireclay competing and fighting to challenge the perceived hegemonic designs of each other. Senator Farhatullah Babar of the PPP and others from both sides of aisle expressed their serious concern on this out of blue development in the Senate the other day. Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani gave the ruling demanding of the government to give policy statement on the very important issue having implications for the country’s foreign and security policies.

Defence Minister Ghulam Dastgir Khan while confirming the decision in the policy statement in the House added that troops would be leaving for the Kingdom soon juxtaposing with assurance that they would only be serving the assigned advisory and training missions and would not be deployed to take part in Yemen war zone. The minister was little nervous and felt uneasy when the law makers asked him to share the deployment plan of the troops indicating the locations of the troops in the Kingdom. He refused to share it even in-camera making angry the senators and Chairman Raza Rabbani who warned that such recalcitrance would be deemed as an undermining Parliament and such attitude could invoke parliamentary contempt proceedings against the minister and others.

It is, however, satisfying that PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has supported the decision, adding that the apprehensions originating from different sides about the dispatch of army troops are misplaced. The prime minister on Friday last assured the House that the troops being sent to Saudi Arabia would be only for training and advisory purposes, adding that the deployment plan would also be shared with the lawmakers if desired so. Prime minister’s categorical assurance in the House has addressed the reservations of the parliamentarians as well as the people who are worried the country may not be ‘sucked’ in Yemen war. The decision is being equated by the government as the balancing act to promote country’s interests while keeping the relations of Pakistan on even keel with Saudi Arabia and neighbourly country Iran. With Saudi Arabia Pakistan has long history of relations in all important fields from economy to defence. There are around two million Pakistanis working in the kingdom sending billions of dollars foreign exchange so desperately needed to keep the wheel of the economy in motion. With Iran, Pakistan’s relations have been steady necessitated by its close proximity as well.

Remember, Parliament bailed out the government when it passed unanimous resolution in 2015 urging the government not to send Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia as per the request to fight Saudi’s war in Yemen. The parliamentary resolution was perfectly in sync with the directive principle of country’s foreign policy stipulating not to take side in the intra-Muslim countries armed conflict. The Saudi were conveyed accordingly that might have not been taken in good stride by them for obvious reason. The PML-N government was bailed out by Parliament that was under the pile of gratitude of Saudis for their generous hospitality extended to Sharifs during their opted exile. They opted for exile as a result of agreement with military dictator with the undertaking not to take part in country’s politics for next ten years. However, Parliament found the pathways out for them out of the cobweb of gratitude the Sharifs were embroiled in posing impossibility to break it at their own.

Since this important issue never came under discussion in the Parliament until DG ISPR made announcement to this effect so the uproar was understandable and appropriate. If the decision had been announced by the Ministry of Information or the prime minister’s media wing the possibility of misconstruing might have not been arisen in the first place. The anger and frustration of the parliamentarians might be justified as it was unexpected considering it substantially against the spirit of the unanimous resolution passed by it earlier in 2015. Parliament was not taken into confidence this time when it was deeply engaged in this very important issue of defence and foreign policy. The doubts of hushing up were bound to surface in the Houses. The mitigating of fears was acutely required.

The resolution of Parliament in 2015 was indeed a superb manifestation of the suitability of the collective wisdom of the legislature that not only made immense sense under the circumstances but also represented the sentiments of the people in true perspective. It abundantly made clear that all sort of support would be extended to Saudi Kingdom only if territorial integrity was threatened or the sanctity of the holy places of worship of Muslim were subjected to sacrilege, God forbid. Pakistan was a country of 200 million people with 98% Muslim population. No government in Pakistan could afford to remain neutral or indifferent in defending the holiest places and the territorial integrity of the Saudi Kingdom no matter what would be the consequences. The resolution also perfectly matched the international law and the UN Charter that required that the troops of the country could be deployed in other country for fighting only if authorised by the UN Security Council. Collective wisdom was at its best in this case as well to deal with the extremely difficult and delicate diplomatic situation facing the country. If the decision, as initially understood, had been true it would have surely undercut the dynamics of the collective wisdom that not only got the country out of the then maelstrom but also gave clear guidelines to deal with such situation in the future. It reiterated the directive principle of the country’s foreign policy to remain neutral in the intra-conflicts of Muslim countries.

Pakistan plate is already full and cannot chew more because its troops have been fighting the evil of extremism and terrorism for the last 15 years, the war imposed by military dictators on the behest of other countries. The war has become albatross around the neck of the Pakistani nation that has caused prodigious sufferings for the people both in blood and treasure, 118 billion dollars to the economy and about staggering 70,000 fatalities and still counting. The end to this scourge remained seemingly elusive. The parliamentary resolution fully recognising the home compulsions and limitations was adopted unanimously to save the country from the inevitable untold miseries by not obliging the request for sending troops. The other redeeming feature of the parliamentary resolution was the possibility of playing the role of as mediatory to bring the warring parties on the negotiation table for peaceful resolution. The joining of Pakistan in one camp would have surely lost its possible leverage as a neutral country.

Parliamentary resolution 2015 had the authorisation of the entire nation as no dissent voice was heard from any side. The nation took the sigh of relief as they were apprehensive of the fall out of playing the role of proxy. Based on the same fear, the latest perceived unilateral decision, as earlier reported, had not been generally welcomed by the people who strongly opposed Pakistan doing the bidding of others. Such decision may not become a cause of worry for our immediate neighbour during peace time but at this time it may entail consequences.

In regional perspective, the parliamentary resolution, 2015, created a lot of goodwill in the neighbouring country Iran as the Iranian president himself visited Pakistan presumably to extend gratitude of the nation. Pakistan cannot afford to build relations at the expense of either Iran or of Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has cordial relations with both countries and it is in our vital interest to continue to maintain such relationship on durable basis. Saudi Arabia has always helped Pakistan during the testing times. Iran being the immediate neighbour also does not harbour any ill-will against Pakistan. Their geographical proximity and religious affinities call upon to have relations based on shared vision further strengthened with the shared history and culture.

muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com