The Government of Pakistan received a cash gift of $1.5
billion from friendly Arab countries on “No Special Occasion”. Undeniably,
cash is always welcome in Pakistan as aid, charity or gift. Indeed, this
generous and mysterious “gift” helped Pakistan ease economic pressure,
strengthened the devalued rupee, helped shore up foreign exchange reserves and
meet the debt-service obligations.
According to the Federal Minister for Finance, Ishaq Dar, “It
was neither a loan nor given in return for any services.” Maybe not for the Government of Pakistan, but
for common citizens this sounds too good to be true.
There is one adage that has held true since time immemorial:
There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. So what's the catch?
● Saudi Arabia wants Pakistan to supply arms and ammunition to
Syrian rebels.
● Saudi Arabia wants Pakistan’s support to topple Bashar al Assad
in Syria and the formation of an interim governing body.
● Saudi Arabia wants more mercenaries and ex-military officials to
help suppress the uprising in Bahrain
● Saudi Arabia wants Pakistan to abandon the Iran gas pipeline.
●
Saudi Arabia wants
ready-made Pakistani Nukes.
The Saudis fear that the United States is willing to accept Iran’s
position as regional leader. Iran has increased its influence in Iraq and
through Hezbollah in Lebanon, and if Bashar al Assad’s regime stays in power, Iran
wins in Syria too. Saudi Arabia and many Gulf states are afraid that the so
called “Shia block” will expand from the Persian Gulf to the Eastern
Mediterranean shore, if Assad stays in power.
Saudis are less worried about a nuclear Iran as compared to the United
States. There are reports that Saudis already paid for the bomb and Pakistan is
ready to ship nukes to Saudi Arabia when needed.
Pakistani forces have a long history of meddling in Middle
Eastern conflicts.
●
In 1970, the then King of Jordan
asked Brigadier Zia ul Haq (later Chief of Army Staff and President of
Pakistan) to take over the command of a Jordanian division for an attack on
Palestinian guerrillas. A military action also known as “Black September”.
PLO chief Yasser Arafat later claimed that the Jordanian army killed between
10,000 and 25,000 Palestinians.
●
Fighter Pilots of the Pakistan Air Force
flew aircraft of the Royal Saudi Air Force to repel an incursion from South
Yemen in 1969
●
During the 1973 Arab–Israeli War,
Pakistani Air Force pilots flew combat missions in Syrian aircrafts, and shot
down Israeli fighters.
●
In the 1970s and 1980s up to 15,000
Pakistani troops were stationed in the kingdom, some in a brigade combat force
near the Israeli-Jordanian-Saudi border
●
1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, Pakistan sent
troops to protect the Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia.
● During Arab spring 2011, Bahrain has reported to have recruited
2,500 Pakistanis (mercenaries) to serve in its security forces to quell
protesters from the Shiite majority.
Saudi Arabia has been funneling large sums of money into Pakistan since
the 1970s to promote its anti-Shia strand of Wahabi Islam. Banned outfit
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan TTP (mostly Pashtoon Taliban) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
(Punjabi Taliban) both are followers of Saudi-sponsored Wahabi extremism.
The Associated Press and Reuters reported that hundreds of Pakistani
jihadists, including members
of the Pakistani Taliban and some from the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, are fighting in Syria along with
AlQaeda.
"Our aim and purpose is
to fight against the Shiites and eliminate them" A Pakistani Taliban
fighter in Syria told The Associated Press.
First official visit of the King of Bahrain to Pakistan in four decades
has risen concerned in Pakistan. Conflicts between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims
are a recurring problem in Bahrain.
The Sunni minority, to which the ruling al-Khalifah family belongs, controls
nearly all the power and wealth in the country. The Shiites continue to agitate
for more representation in government.
There is a growing fear in Pakistan that Bahrain would recruit Punjabi
Talibans as “mercenaries” to help suppress the Shiites uprising in Bahrain. The
current government in Pakistan has close ties with the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
(Punjabi Talibans).
According to Long
War Journal “Punjab
Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah is under fire for publicly campaigning
with top leaders of the radical Sipah-e-Sahaba, the forerunner to the
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an al Qaeda pawn that provides muscle for the terror group.”
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain has urged the government of
Pakistan not to indulge in a war to serve the interests of other countries and
should not repeat mistakes of the past.
After three decades, Pakistan is still paying the price for the Afghan
war. Terrorism, Jihadists, Extremism, and a weak economy are all gifts of bad policies made by former rulers during the Afghan war. Once again Pakistan is at
the crossroads of national integrity or regional instability.
