The government seems to have all the wrong ideas about not just how to govern but how to manage their relations with other countries in the region and beyond. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition of some Gulf states along with Egypt, Morocco and Jordan has decided to wage all out war with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, militants the Kingdom believes are sponsored by Shia Iran, its mortal enemy. Saudi Arabia is gathering its regional allies and their troops in a military campaign to defeat the Houthis, who have gained control of Sanaa, the capital. It has also reached out to Pakistan, its longstanding ‘admirer’ and supporter no matter what the cost to its own sovereignty. Pakistan initially seemed too keen to participate in military interference in another country, in what is possibly being set as the stage for all out sectarian conflict in the Middle East. Is this something Pakistan can afford, especially when, seen in the regional context, it does not hold the same disregard for Tehran? After all, we are pushing forward on economic and energy cooperation with Iran; under what pretence can we militarily strike what many perceive to be an ally or proxy of Iran?
It is, therefore, a relief to note that the Pakistan foreign office has reiterated to the media and public that Pakistan has not agreed to anything with the Kingdom and is still “mulling over” the prospect of militarily supporting it. While that is hardly heartening, it is a big step back from the gung ho, knee-jerk response we saw earlier.
Iran is a regional neighbour; it is a strong one too, braving western sanctions for decades and now seeing the US coming to it for negotiations on its nuclear facilities. It is a Shia state and is a major contender for regional hegemony in the Middle East, a prospect that brings out the vitriol — and now, it seems, guns — from Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has always gone along with whatever the Kingdom wanted from it, from funding jihadist seminaries to inculcating. Wahhabiisation of the country. However, Pakistan now has to play smart. We are in an all out state of war ourselves with many fronts open against the Pakistani Taliban, who have waged war against the state. The army is already stretched too thin fighting our homegrown militants, who have killed more than 50,000 civilians so far. How can we afford to get involved in regional warfare? Do we really want to risk a blowback from this sectarian conflict on our own soil as well, which is already battling sectarianism and interfaith terror? Do we want a theatre of the macabre playing out here in no time?
We must decline the Saudis for once in our lives, for our own sake.
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