Are you with us or with Qatar, Saudis ask Pakistan

[Zibago]

Are you with us or with Qatar, Saudis ask Pakistan
By Kamran Yousaf
Published: June 14, 2017
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Nawaz says Islamabad will not take sides in brewing Middle East crisis. PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has told Saudi Arabia it will not take sides in the brewing diplomatic crisis in the Middle East after Riyadh asked Islamabad “are you with us or with Qatar”.

The Saudi demand for Pakistan to take a clear position on Qatar came during a meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, diplomatic sources told The Express Tribune.

Premier Sharif, who was also accompanied by army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and other senior officials, dashed to Jeddah on Monday to discuss the emerging situation in the Arab world.

PM, army chief meet Saudi King

Pakistan has been treading a careful path since Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries snapped diplomatic ties with Qatar after accusing the oil-rich country of supporting terrorist groups.

But now Riyadh wants Islamabad to side with the kingdom as it ramped up efforts to isolate Qatar.

A senior government official, who was briefed on the talks at the monarch’s palace in Jeddah, told The Express Tribune that the Pakistani side told the Saudi leadership that Islamabad would support any efforts to foster unity among the Muslim Ummah. However, Pakistan would not take sides in any event that would create divisions within the Muslim world.

Nevertheless, in order to placate Saudi Arabia, Pakistan offered to use its influence over Qatar to defuse the situation. For this purpose, the prime minister will undertake visits to Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey.

Another official familiar with the development explained that Pakistan would only complement efforts of Kuwait to defuse the crisis in the Arab world instead of playing the role of a direct mediator between Qatar and other Gulf countries. The official said Pakistan was not directly mediating between Qatar and Saudi Arabia at this stage.

Qatar says Gulf citizens can stay despite crisis

“This is primarily an issue among the Gulf countries and we hope they resolve the issue by themselves,” the official said while requesting not to be quoted on record because of the sensitivity of the issue. The official added if efforts of Kuwait and other regional countries could not succeed, then other Muslim countries, including Pakistan and Turkey, were always there to facilitate.

At this stage, Pakistan is only complementing efforts of Kuwait. For this purpose, the prime minister is likely to travel to Kuwait, which is currently spearheading efforts seeking de-escalation of tensions between Qatar and other Gulf countries.

The official also explained that the prime minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia was also part of a ‘goodwill gesture’ in the wake of speculations that Pakistan was sending troops to Qatar.

“The false media reports gave the impression as if we are taking sides in the ongoing crisis in the Gulf,” the official said.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Foreign Office on Tuesday said that during meeting with King Salman, Premier Sharif expressed the hope that the current impasse in the Gulf would be resolved soon in the best interest of the Muslim Ummah.

While expressing solidarity with the kingdom and the people of Saudi Arabia, the prime minister said the kingdom had a very special place in the hearts of Pakistanis and that the Muslim world looked up to the monarch as the custodian of the two Holy Mosques.

“The prime minister reaffirmed the strong commitment of the people and the government of Pakistan for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the kingdom, and the safety of Harmain al Shareifain,” the statement said.

King Salman, according to the statement, thanked the prime minister for his visit and recalled the special nature of relationship between the kingdom and Pakistan ever since its independence. King Salman also said that the fight against extremism and terrorism was in the interest of all Muslims and the Ummah.

He also appreciated the exceptional successes of Pakistan against extremism and terrorism, despite the challenging situation and environment, and reiterated the kingdom’s strong commitment and support for all issues of interest for Pakistan, including matters of its national security.

Meanwhile, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah claimed that the prime minister’s visit to Saudi Arabia could not achieve the desired results and hence no joint statement was issued.

Speaking to reporters, he demanded that the government clarify the role of former army chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif in the Saudi-led counter terrorism alliance in the wake of ongoing developments.


Read more: Gulf crisis , Latest , Prime Nawaz Sjarif
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1434933/gulf-diplomatic-crisis-us-qatar-saudis-ask-pakistan/

 

[Baby Leone]

Pakistan should ask this Saudis to shut the **** up and mind your own business and keep fighting with each other and die like dog dont ask us.

 

[EmeraldRabbit]

These animals have blocked food supplies to a Muslim country during Ramadan.

Surely they could've waited a month before doing all this.

Pakistan should not side with these vile governments

 

[Zulkarneyn]

If Pakistan sides with KSA on this you will have left the hope for a better tomorrow - for easy money from corrupt KSA with their lavish lifestyles' - remember how KSA and her cronies view Pakistanis.
And remember Turkey supports Qatar till the end.

 

[EmeraldRabbit]

If Pakistan sides with KSA on this you will have left the hope for a better tomorrow - for easy money from corrupt KSA with their lavish lifestyles' - remember how KSA and her cronies view Pakistanis.
And remember Turkey supports Qatar till the end.

The problem is the PM was given asylum/welcomed by the Saudis during his exile.

But here's to hoping the establishment has more control over such decisions than the PM himself.

This could be one thing that could make people hate Nawaz even more.

 

[Zulkarneyn]

The problem is the PM was given asylum/welcomed by the Saudis during his exile.

But here's to hoping the establishment has more control over such decisions than the PM himself.

This could be one thing that could make people hate Nawaz even more.

Then it's time for the military to step in and remove spineless corrupt politicians. On one side you have Turkey, your natural allies on the other side you have the vile governments of KSA and her puppets. Will you be a puppet of KSA and abandon your brothers?
Do you think KSA is fit to lead the Muslim world? Those who are fit are already known by all, except those who stay on power not due to popular support but due to oil money.

 

[Skywalker]

The problem is the PM was given asylum/welcomed by the Saudis during his exile.

But here's to hoping the establishment has more control over such decisions than the PM himself.

This could be one thing that could make people hate Nawaz even more.

Don't forget the Qatari prince letter.

 

[EmeraldRabbit]

Don't forget the Qatari prince letter.

What letter? Genuinely curious.

I think KSA still has capacity to change. But UAE is the real devil (spying on all its neighbours)

 

[SouI]

The problem is the PM was given asylum/welcomed by the Saudis during his exile.

But here's to hoping the establishment has more control over such decisions than the PM himself.

This could be one thing that could make people hate Nawaz even more.

Well while the sultanate declared Atatürk a traitors and he fought against European powers like UK France Italy etc together, Russia helped Atatürk by giving ammunition money etc to him.

But later in a speech he said sth like "Today we may be allied with Russia, but what the future may hold can change this situation and we may need to get closer to the west in the future".

So if your PM would support KSA just because of sth personal in the past, it would show that he is disconnected from reality and current facts and conditions.

 

[rashid.sarwar]

if KSA backs out, who will give free oil to pak......hmm...........

 

[T-Rex]

Well while the sultanate declared Atatürk a traitors and he fought against European powers like UK France Italy etc together, Russia helped Atatürk by giving ammunition money etc to him.

But later in a speech he said sth like "Today we may be allied with Russia, but what the future may hold can change this situation and we may need to get closer to the west in the future".

So if your PM would support KSA just because of sth personal in the past, it would show that he is disconnected from reality and current facts and conditions.

Nawaz is being blackmailed by the SA and UAE regimes. In the past they gave shelter to him so it's very difficult for him to say no to them. Something should be done to those crooks in SA and UAE so that they cannot bully or organize coups in other Muslim states in future.

 

[El Sidd]

Flies to Saudi Arabia: Yo !! Brother we got your back.
Flies to Qatar: Yo !! Brother we got your back.

Comes home with both the LNG and Oil supply pretty much in safe hands.

Pakistan as per foreign policy always sides with the stronger historically. Strictly business and no offense to anyone here or any nation for that matter.

And if you want me to be blunt: Pakistan is highly unlikely to do anything which burdens its ties with Saudi Arabia and will protect Saudi Arabia's integrity like its own.

 

[Kambojaric]

If Pakistan sides with KSA on this you will have left the hope for a better tomorrow - for easy money from corrupt KSA with their lavish lifestyles' - remember how KSA and her cronies view Pakistanis.
And remember Turkey supports Qatar till the end.

We will stay neutral. Public opinion is neutral and the incumbent PM has vested interests in ensuring neutrality (he was given exile in Saudi yes, but currently in an ongoing corruption case filed against the PM, the Qataris have been helping the PM out by explaining foreign money transactions to the Pakistani courts). So in general our politicians will tow a careful line and state that they will defend Saudi's sovereignty if it is attacked. However like Yemen, we wont be joining any of their foreign ventures.

 

[Zibago]

If Pakistan sides with KSA on this you will have left the hope for a better tomorrow - for easy money from corrupt KSA with their lavish lifestyles' - remember how KSA and her cronies view Pakistanis.
And remember Turkey supports Qatar till the end.

The opposition wont allow that

We will stay neutral

 

[El Sidd]

Funny how everybody from Qatar, Turkey, Saudi, India, Iran, Somalia, Bangladesh, Yemen, Bahrain, UAE, Afghanistan and Syria and Iraq and Lebonan and Jordan are trying to convince Pakistanis to join them.

hahahaha @Zibago @PakSword sir itni izzat mil rahi hai ajkal. apse wada kia tha k ye saray hamare chukne aenge to aap log hanste hain jese faqiron per.

We will do whatever is best for Pakistan. If that involves siding with a stronger side in the conflict. So be it.

Ironic is for the past 25 years we were seen as 'poor Pakistanis - uncivilized Indians - racially inferior'. Now suddenly the whole of Ummah comes calling?

We prefer if there exist an ideal world, an alliance of neutrality with Indonesians and Malaysians, but they are in the vicinity of South China Sea so that's not gonna go well either in the next 20 years.