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| KSA-Pakistani leader in one frame |
Renewed Pak – Saudi
Relations: Opportunities and Challenges
By - Salahuddin Bhutto
Lecturer Department of
Management Sciences
NUML,
Multan Campus.
Email:
sbhutto@numl.edu.pk
19th Feb, 2019.
At one point, when Pakistani
government refused to send troops to Yemen requested by Saudi Arabia, it seemed
that relations between the two will remain disagreeable for long time. However,
it was not true.
Pakistan and Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia’s relations, these days, have touched new pinnacles. Nevertheless,
Immense has been pressed, about relationship of both, by national and
international media. Recent developments need a critical review and analysis about
opportunities and challenges to be presented by them in coming time. So, to understand
clearly about renewed relations, it is doubtlessly required to revisit both
countries current diplomatic engagement and predict the outcome.
There are many reasons behind
renewed bilateral interaction between both countries, important of all is the
change in the leadership. Both Imran Khan and King Mohammad Bin Salman are
newly installed leaders who have come up with promise to rebrand or reposition
their country’s poor image on socio-economic fronts. Remember, king Salman’s vision
2030, which is under implementation, it aims to bring socio-economic reforms in
kingdom, similarly is working PM Imran Khan to enhance destitute conditions of
Pakistan. Both the leaders after taking office have announced fresh internal
and foreign policies thus, working round the clock to ameliorate conditions of
their respective countries.
The new level of interaction
between two is touching new friendship phase which is witnessed by KSA
government’s trade agreements made during current visit of king MBS to boost
relations with Pakistan, by investing $ 20 billion in country’s energy sector and
make partnership with Pakistan in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Such
a close tie although can be viewed as giant opportunity for both to get mutual
benefits yet it also carries cumbersome challenges presented by internal and
external i.e. regional and international politics and diplomacy.
Opportunities
Both countries, Pak and KSA can
develop a Petro-Agri barter business model to maintain the balance of trade.
Pakistan’s main exports to Saudi are cereals, textile and meat while imports
are petroleum products. A barter agreement can be done at government level in
which Pakistan will enhance export of Agri and textile products to KSA and
in-return KSA will export Oil to Pakistan without involving cash payments. In
this regard assistance from Chinese firms-which are suppose to cultivate leased
land in Pakistan under CPEC, can be sought.
Second important issue which was
highlighted also by PM Khan during his speech to king MBS is employment of
Pakistani laborers in KSA. A fresh agreement can be chartered between two
governments in which Saudi government may agree to accept employment of more
Pakistanis than present quota and in return Pakistan sent double pilgrimage
each year which will be lucrative for Saudi. As same agenda of ‘promotion
of pilgrimage’ is also on king MBS 2030 vision.
Lastly, both countries Pakistan
and Saudi can come to fresh agreements related to military and defense viewing
their waring conditions against India and Iran respectively. Pakistani
government might allow Saudi presence in Gwadar to keep eye on Indo-Iran
movement on Chabahar port in a condition if Saudi and its Arab allies promise diplomatic
settlement
of doklam and Kashmir against Indian aggression.
Challenges
One of the greatest challenges to
renewed relations of Pak and KSA is herself definition and practice of
International relations in modern times. John Henry Temple of Great Britain who
once said: There are no permanent friends
or permanent enemies, only permanent interests. Most of the
world leaders are pragmatic thus Pak-KSA are friends unless common interests
are there. But it is not necessarily true both countries have hold diplomatic,
trade, and aid relations since pre-partition.
Secondly, International propagandas
and personal commitments might hinder growing ties between these two countries
as predecessors of king MBS have remained tilted towards allies like Israel and
India viewing urgency of time and common grounds, thus Pakistan might not be
able to join the multilateral defense and trade forums of KSA in the presence
of such allies.
Third and last important
challenge is that, Pakistan’s 207 million population comprise 20 percent Shia
who completely dislikes country’s growing connections with ‘House of Saud’ or
‘Saud royal family’. Thus, a country like Pakistan which is already
victim of extremism and terrorism can not afford a growing sectarian divide
anymore. Therefore, government of Pakistan cannot engage with KSA up to too
much extent only to avoid fresh sectarian rift.
Conclusion
Such a scenario has presented
many prospects for rising our economically-wrecked country. With the help of
KSA and China CPEC projects related to energy security can be raised very
quickly in this regard there is need of a strong strategic management model for
implementation and monitoring of such multi-billion-dollar international funded
projects. On the same time government should work to oversight and anticipate
the challenges and obstacles which may hinder the national agenda of repositioning
the country on socio-economic fronts.
