ALL reports suggest that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visits to Saudi Arabia and UAE on September 18-19, 2018 were a considerable success. Saudi Arabia was gratified that it was the first foreign country visited by Pakistan’s newly-elected Prime Minister, which reemphasised Saudi Arabia’s primacy in Pakistan’s foreign policy calculations. The two countries have enjoyed a special relationship for more than sixty years. They have stood by each other in war and peace, in good and bad times. Imran Khan’s visit reinvigorated the traditional ties and took them to greater heights.
Prior to Imran Khan’s arrival in Saudi Arabia, there were some issues of concern affecting the bilateral relations. As an opposition leader, Imran Khan had opposed Pakistan’s involvement in Yemen civil war, where a Saudi-led coalition made a military intervention in 2015 against the Shia Houthi rebels, who had Iran’s backing. Imran had also opposed General Raheel Sharif’s appointment as commander-in-chief of IMCTC, a military coalition force of over thirty Islamic countries, minus Shia states, which was set up by Saudi Arabia to fight terrorism. Thirdly, Imran Khan had criticized Pakistan’s involvement in the War on Terror, dubbing it as someone else’s war. Some observers even thought that he had a soft corner for Islamist extremists like Taliban. This too could have put him at odds with the Saudi regime, which has been fighting its own war against Al-Qaeda and other Islamist extremists.
However, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, Imran Khan evidently dispelled these concerns. He joined Saudi Arabia in condemning religious extremism, sectarianism and terrorism. He highlighted Pakistan’s own sacrifices against terrorism. The Saudi leadership apprised him of steps taken by them to curb extremism and terrorism, and shared views on “the forces spreading extremist ideologies in the region” (an apparent allusion to Iran). The two countries acknowledged each other’s efforts and sacrifices and pledged to continue their partnership to defeat this scourge. They agreed on the need to promote peace and security to ensure progress, development and prosperity. However, in a TV interview given to Saudi journalist Faheem Al-Hamid, Imran Khan repeated his view that Pakistan should not have joined the war on terror after 9/11 which was not “its war”.
Imran Khan gave unequivocal assurances of support for Saudi Arabia’s security, and stated publicly that “Pakistan would not allow anyone to attack Saudi Arabia and that Pakistan will always stand with the Kingdom.” Actually, he was reaffirming the long-standing commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security that has become the base on which the architecture of Saudi-Pakistan relationship is built. Prince Turki al-Faisal, an ex-Saudi intelligence chief, and Saudi Arabia’s spokesman on foreign policy, has described the Saudi-Pakistan ties as “probably one of the closest relationships in the world between any two countries without an official treaty.” In the past, Pakistan has assisted Saudi Arabia in tangible ways to protect its security e.g. by sending thousands of troops to Saudi Arabia in the 1980s to protect it.
The two sides expressed satisfaction at the convergence of views on a host of regional and global issues and those faced by the Ummah. (Since Saudi Arabia is highly critical of Iran, Pakistan’s convergence of views with it could have hardly pleased Iran). Notably, the Saudi side assured Pakistan of its “maximum assistance” in efforts to transform the country into a welfare state. Imran Khan invited Saudi Arabia to become the third strategic partner of CPEC. His party spokesmen have since said that Saudi Arabia has accepted this invitation and that around $10 billion will be forthcoming as Saudi investment in CPEC, including building a mega oil city in Gwadar for transportation of oil from Gulf States to China.
However, there has been no official Saudi statement so far confirming these claims. But hopes have been raised because it has been confirmed that a Saudi delegation consisting of Ministers of Finance and Energy will be visiting Pakistan early in Oct. The high-powered composition of this delegation suggests some seriousness of purpose. Incidentally, Saudi participation in CPEC would also constitute a rejection of India’s objections to this project on ground that it passes through territory claimed by it.
In an important meeting with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the dominating figure in the Saudi regime, Prime Minister Imran Khan supported the former’s Vision 2030 for transforming Saudi Arabia and expressed admiration for the Prince’s anti-corruption campaign. Imran’s good equation with Prince Muhammad bin Salman would be greatly beneficial for Pakistan. On issues like Yemen, Imran Khan offered that Pakistan could play the role of mediator if so required. He said the conflicts in Middle East were very distressing for Muslims and Pakistan wanted to play a reconciliatory role. He stressed the need for political solutions rather than resorting to wars. How far Saudi Arabia would support such a mediatory role is not yet clear.
The stopover in Abu Dhabi and Imran Khan’s meeting with Crown Prince Muhammad bin Zayed was very useful since for some time UAE has been drawing closer to India. UAE was critical of Pakistan when it declared neutrality in the Yemen war. Sheikh Zayed, the founder of UAE, had been the closest friend of Pakistan and it was a strategic setback for Pakistan that the old warmth was seemingly lost. Though small, UAE is oil-rich and an important financial and commercial hub. Prime Minister Imran Khan was received with great warmth by the Crown Prince (the effective ruler) and it is very much hoped that this visit has restored traditional closeness in Pakistan’s ties with UAE.
— The writer served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Soviet Union, France, Nigeria and Libya.
Source: https://pakobserver.net/imrans-successful-visits/
