Nawaz Sharif, who is facing heat over Panama papers, has been put in a spot by the military as it is in-charge of foreign and defence policy
As US President Donald Trump was speaking at a grand reception hosted by the Saudi government, Iran fired at least five mortar shells into Pakistan’s largest province of Balochistan and warned that it will hit terror “safe havens” in Pakistan in response to a cross-border attack by a Sunni terrorist group.
It was no coincidence that after signing a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, the tone of fiery Trump suddenly changed. The man, who during his presidential campaign called radical Islam the biggest threat to the US, started singing paeans to a country which is the biggest financier and promoter of radical Islam all over the world.
During his 36-minute speech to more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, Trump did not focus on promoting human rights and democratic reforms in the Middle East, but instead turned his guns on Iran, calling it a country that for decades has been fuelling the fires of sectarian conflict and terror. “It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this room.”
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was also present but was not allowed to deliver his speech, must be feeling very uncomfortable as what was purported to be Islamic military alliance against terrorism led by former Pakistan army chief Gen Raheel Sharif was turning into a Sunni alliance against Shia Iran.
Like Afghanistan, Pakistan considers Iran a part of its “strategic depth” and has been delicately balancing relations with Teheran and Riyadh. Despite being the biggest beneficiary of the Saudi largesse, Islamabad has been Iran neutral.
However, over the years, due to Shia-Sunni sectarian violence, relations between the two have come under severe strain, resulting in border skirmishes.
Nawaz Sharif, who is facing heat over Panama papers, has been put in a spot by the military as it is in-charge of foreign and defence policy.
The opposition is up in arms over Pakistan committing to a military coalition whose main target is Iran.
Sharif, who has been a favourite of the Saudi royal family, owes his political comeback to the House of Saud.
When he was ousted by Gen Pervez Musharraf, they were Saudi rulers who not only got his life sentence commuted, but also gave him refuge.
Sharif cannot afford to lose or offend the Saudi rulers as it will be a personal setback to him, but also make him more reliant on the military for his political survival.
The military has already forced him to sack his foreign policy adviser Tariq Fatemi.
All this means that Sharif’s agenda of peace with India has gone for a toss. In fact, in the next elections, if he is allowed to contest, one will see a more hawkish and anti-India Sharif.
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