Pakistan and Arab World: Security Cooperation

[davidbfpo]

The NYT op-ed 'Pakistan, the Saudis’ Indispensable Nuclear Partner' by:

Pervez Hoodbhoy is a professor of physics and mathematics. He teaches at Forman Christian College in Lahore and Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad.

Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/op...ani-rift.html?

Near the start he writes:

The recent deterioration of Pakistan’s ties with its Arab benefactors, even if it turns out to be temporary, is unprecedented.

He ends with:

Except that now Saudi Arabia, which is too rich to be ignored yet too weak to defend itself, has reason to fear that Pakistan, its indispensable nuclear partner, might no longer simply follow its diktats.

[CrowBat]

It's quite simple, actually: during the recent visit by President Xi Jinping in Pakistan, Beijing and Islamabad signed a number of deals, worth US$ 46 billion (for some of details, see here).

These are including construction of a natural gas pipeline from Iran to Pakistan, and then building up an entire 'China-Pakistan Economic Corridor' (CPEC), which is including a network of roads, railways and pipelines between Gwadar, Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan and Xinjiang region in China, plus expansion of Pakistani ports.

With other words: 'sorry Saudis', but since you're not investing as much into Pakistan (or if, then only into local nuclear weapons and madrasses for training of Jihadists), Chinese are far more interesting.

[omarali50]

China's 46 billion is mostly promises. Not a bad idea if it happens, but the burden is going to be on Pakistan to prove it can build, operate, secure.
Meanwhile the relationship with Saudi Arabia remains VERY important. Which is why the army chief and the PM are both in Saudi today to massage their bruised ego.
What they asked for in Yemen (IF they asked for ground troops to fight there) was simply insane. A step too far, even for Pakistan.

[CrowBat]

Past experiences with Chinese 'promises' of this kind have shown that they shouldn't be taken lightly.

In 'worst case', i.e. should Pakistan prove not able to fullfil its parts of the project, it's going to find itself 'invaded' by few thousands of very busy Chinese specialists.

Check all over Africa for countless examples from recent years (be these some road construction project in eastern DRC, so many others in Zimbabwe or Tanzania, or whatever other place).

[davidbfpo]

One Pakistani soldier and ex-Chief of Staff has a decision to make, thanks to our contributor Hamid Hussain:

Pakistani Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif retired on 29 November 2016 handing over command to General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Four weeks later, Saudi Arabia sent a special plane to Lahore to bring Raheel for a meeting in Saudi Arabia. Even before his retirement, rumors have been circulating that he will be given some role in ongoing conflict in Yemen.

His comment:

We don’t know the final decision of General ® Raheel Sharif about his role in Saudi led coalition. I just put down my thoughts about the issue with the hope that he will seriously re-consider his options. I don’t know if any officer has communicated his thoughts about this issue but almost all officers are against involvement of Pakistan in any foreign entanglement.

See attachment (4pgs) for more details.

[davidbfpo]

General Raheel Sharif, the former Pakistani army chief, will now head the Saudi Arabia-led 39-nation military coalition formed to serve as a platform for security cooperation and combat terrorism.

The decision to appoint Gen (retd) Raheel, who retired in November 2016, was taken after taking the incumbent government into confidence, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said yesterday.

Link:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistans-ex-army-chief-joins-saudi-arabia-led-military-coalition/articleshow/56391182.cms?

[davidbfpo]

An update from Hamid Hussain, our indirect contributor, following an exchange with an anonymous, serving Pakistani Army officer - so giving some insight into how one of them views the world. Plus Hamid's response.

See the attachment.