Indian Defence Review

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spent more than three hours preparing the speech which he thought he will deliver in recently held US-Islamic-Arab Conference in Saudi Arabia, attended by the US President on his maiden visit to Saudi Arabia and 54 heads of the Islamic countries. Lo and behold, Nawaz Sharif was not given a chance to speak to the audience while the Prime Minster of Bangladesh and Indonesia got all the time they wanted. Pakistan is really piqued by this snub. Their media is full of rant against Saudis and even their own Prime Minster.

Nawaz Sharif’s office has come out with a statement that he could not get time to speak in Saudi Arabia because the said conference started one and half hour late so the organisers ran short of time. This is no excuse. Even the illiterate Pakistanis will not accept it.

International Conference of this magnitude, in the current case against Islamic terror, is not planned over night. Lot of hard work and advance planning goes into it. Time slots and agendas are decided before hand and any time losses are suitably adjusted.

Truth is that while Pakistan had taken for granted that like other Islamic heads of states their Prime Minster will also be given time to speak, which was in actual fact not part of Saudi Arab Agenda. Pakistan should have sent their foreign office bureaucrat’s well in advance to Saudi Arabia to ascertain what all has been planned. This conference on Islamic terror was basically a gathering of Sunni Muslim nation heads to form a front against the Shia Iran and Syria. Shia Muslim country heads were not invited.

President Trump was there because this Sunni Group of countries led by Saudi Arabia has signed an MOU with America for buying 110 Billion dollars worth of arms. This is one of the biggest arms purchase deals which will provide American arms companies lot of jobs.

Pakistani Prime Minster was not given time to speak because of Pakistani policy of maintaining cordial relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia did not want in this anti Iran and Anti Shia conference, Pakistan trying to bridge the gap between the Shia and Sunni Muslim sects of the world by its speech.

Another snub which Pakistan got was from America. Of late Pakistan has been leaving no stones unturned to once again mend fences with the US. During this conference Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted a bilateral meeting with American President Trump on the sidelines. This was not granted by the Americans. If this was not enough in the entire speech of American president Trump there was no mention of Pakistan as affected by terror or making an effort to curb terror but India was mentioned as victim of terror (meaning Pakistan sponsored). Needless to say this is double whammy for Pakistan which has totally riled its media.

Another factor which is now worrying Pakistan is its deteriorating relations with Iran. Till date Sunni Pakistan has been trying to balance its relations with Shia Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia on an even keel.

Things started going wrong when a few months back Pakistan agreed to provide to Saudi Arabia its Ex Army Chief Sharif to head the Islamic force that Saudi Arabia is raising to fight terror. Truth is that this force will basically be gathering of Sunni Countries forces against Shia Iran led forces in Gulf countries, Syria and Yemen. Then last month in April Pakistani Sponsored Jehadi organisations killed 10 Iranian Border Guards in their Seistani Baluchistan area adjacent to Pakistan. In retaliation Iran has warned Pakistan of surgical strikes. Iran has also indulged in cross border firing in Pakistan.

Now with Pakistani Prime minister attending this anti Iran conference in Saudi Arabia puts Pakistan in an embarrassing situation.

All in all Pakistan despite its rants is gradually realising that despite its nuclear bomb even in Islamic countries it is not a prima donna. With its total dependence on Saudi Arabia which props up Pakistan with its petro dollars, Pakistan cannot annoy Saudi Arabia. It will get sucked in the Sunni Camp which Saudi Arab is planning. Iran knows it and with Saudi money flowing to the Sunni jehadis on Iran –Pakistan border with Pakistan looking the other way, relations with Iran will be further spoiled.

In this scenario Pakistan will have to take sides which will be in favour of Saudi Arabia. This is a chance for India to further strengthen its friendship with Iran and develop the Chabhar port as also use North-South Transport corridor bypassing China-Pakistan CEPC and the One Belt one Road Project.

As for Pakistan if it wants self respect then it must change its beggar country image to a self respecting country which can stand on its own. This will only be possible if Pakistan mends its fences with India and spends the limited money in its kitty on development of the country instead of its armed forces.