Pak-Saudi Relations in Flux

Ishtiaq Ahmed 

London: Fast on the heels of Pakistan’s top brass delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Saudi delegation has come to Pakistan.

The Saudi delegation is led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. We are being told that the return visit by the Saudi delegation signals the dawn of a new era in the relationship between the nations as well as heralding the end to Pakistan’s isolation.
Historically, both countries have enjoyed close diplomatic, economic, and military ties.

There is nothing new here other than that these ties may be further expanded and enhanced. However, the assertion ‘the dawn of a new era’ for relations between both countries seems to imply these relations have not been what they seemed.
Most observers would also be intrigued by the suggestion that these bilateral exchanges will herald the ‘end to Pakistan’s isolation’. Pakistan enjoys relatively good diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE, and Iran.

Pakistan is an important member of the OIC, the world’s second-largest international forum after the UN. Therefore, Pakistan should not be deemed to be isolated from the Muslim nations. This begs a  larger question about the implied inference.
There are a number of considerations that could help explain the urgency of the current bilateral exchanges between the two countries.
Firstly, Pakistan is in dire need of whatever financial help it can get from Saudi Arabia for its almost bankrupt economy and mounting debts. This has to be a paramount consideration for Pakistan’s present government.

Therefore, it is natural for Pakistan to turn to its traditional ally.
Secondly, Pakistan’s refreshed approach to re-energizing relations with Iran could also be another factor. Saudis and Iranians are not considered to be the best of friends. There is no love lost between them.

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Equally, Americans, the close buddies of Saudis, regard Iran as their major foe in the region, something of a ‘rogue state’ which does not abide by American interests.
America has been at the forefront of all the moves to isolate Iran, and the ongoing economic sanctions against Iran are a very potent example of this.

Pakistan is of immense strategic importance for the Americans in the region. From here, they can counteract the growing influence of China, of which CPEC is a very good example. 

CPEC is viewed by the Americans as enabling China to extend its influence in the region and beyond, thus galvanizing Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, and Turkiye, amongst others, around the economic benefits that CPEC will offer.

This is something of grave concern to the Americans. The Americans are only too aware of Pakistan’s economic dependency on China, which they would like to reduce; hence, they turn to Saudi Arabia as their trusted proxy partner.
Saudis must also be perturbed about Pakistan and Iran coming closer through diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties signaled by the imminent visit of the Iranian president to Pakistan following the recent meeting between President Zardari and the Iranian Ambassador. This must be of some consternation to the Saudis.
Also, another factor in the melting pot of international relations is the ongoing Gaza tragedy.  Americans are sensing the unpopularity of their support for Netanyahu, even among its trusted allies, such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Saudis also feel increasingly isolated among Muslim nations for their muted stance, which is perceived as amounting to the support of American design for Gaza. Therefore, they need Pakistan’s support for what it is worth.

Historically, Pakistan has staunchly advocated a two-state resolution of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict and has refused to accept the legitimacy of Israel until that is achieved. This has also been the position of Saudis, but of late they were moving towards some degree of relationship normalization with Israel before the Gaza tragedy put a stop to it.
Hence, there are obvious political and economic interests for the Saudis and Americans to be working in cahoots. What Pakistan needs to do is avoid the trap of being lured away from its powerful neighbors, such as China and Iran. Its future peace and prosperity depend on having excellent reciprocal relations with its neighbors and others in the region.

It needs to avoid the lure of dirhams and dollars. This is not to say that it needs to shun Saudi-American advances, but it must tread forward with care to ameliorate these competing interests.

The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs. and editorial desk head of the Penpk.com.