Saudi-Iran tension: Pakistan now loses as mediator
Silence prevails in Pakistan over the tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Dunya News Report (Saleem Khilji)
ISLAMABAD: After the warm-down efforts of Pakistan to ease tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran proved pointless, there is a no word from the mouth of foreign affair advisors of the government. Also, the Foreign Office spokesman did not utter even a single sentence on this paramount issue during its weekly briefings.
Pakistan was to play the role of a mediator between the two Muslim countries for which Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief General Raheel Sharif had visited first Riyadh and then Tehran on January 18 and 19 respectively and held meetings with the Saudi and Iranian leadership. In the aftermath, Pakistan was mandated to play the role of a mediator, which is now believed to be robed. The tension between both the countries brimmed over at a point where Pakistani leadership was left with no other option but to put off the flames after getting nods from the two sides.
The situation, however, took a sharp turn when US Secretary of State John Kerry reached Riyadh and before his departure on January 24, gave a policy statement there that the US has ‘solid relationship’ and ‘strong friendship’ with Saudi Arabia even after it has a nuclear deal with Iran.
The same evening Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, at a foreign office news briefing, announced severing of its diplomatic ties with Iran requesting all the personnel of Iranian diplomatic mission to leave the country within 48 hours. He also briefed media about the details of developments of the incidents occurred at the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Tehran and its consulate general in Mash-had as well as the threats the embassy received in Tehran.
Earlier, after the completion of Pakistani leaderships’ peace visits to Iran and Saudi Arabia to soften the tension, Saudi authorities on January 21 had called an emergent meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The meeting was called to find ways to block the heated sentiments coming out from both sides. But, besides removing the apprehensions between the two countries, the meeting exacerbated the tension accusing Tehran of supporting terrorism and interfering in the affairs of other countries. This infuriated Iranian leaders present in the meeting, who dismissed the allegations saying it as “unacceptable”.
The same day, Iran’s Foreign Office spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari said that the OIC had issued the statement with lack of consensus among the organization’s member states. “The Jeddah meeting was convened with the aim of supporting Saudi Arabia’s state terrorism,” he remarked. He added that OIC overlooked the existing realities pertaining to Iran’s swift action against the perpetrators of the incidents and focused on pursuing the objectives of a specific country.
In this new scenario, experts said, when the two religious hawks broke off all sorts of diplomatic ties, Pakistan needs to use its diplomacy by recalling the two countries the decision to appoint focal persons before initiating a peace dialogue in Islamabad, though it would be a much delayed action. They further said that time is running out and a lot more is required to end the status quo to prevail further. It is believed that Islamabad’s efforts to bring the two countries on the negotiating table were purely based on its people’s spiritual association with Saudi Arabia and Iran. “We are not doing it on behest of anyone,” Sartaj Aziz, advisor to the prime minister on foreign affairs, had earlier told the National Assembly.
On January 19, after holding a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, Prime Minister Nawaz Shaif told media that both Riyadh and Tehran are cognizant of the threat of terrorism, and the Muslim world needs to show unity in its ranks at this point of time. He further said that Pakistan is proud to have taken up the role of a mediator.
President Rouhani, welcoming the Pakistan s move to serve as a mediator, said: "We wish to develop our relations and are opposed to any tension, as long as the rules of diplomacy and politeness are respected."
A day before visiting Iran, a Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had already received a go ahead from Riyadh to make efforts to ease the tension between the two countries.
On January 10, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had visited Pakistan to discuss the situation with Pakistani authorities amid the fear of any possible attack on his country from Iran. However, Chief of Army Staff Raheel Sharif ruled out any such attack saying that any threat to Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity would evoke a strong response from Pakistan.
The tension mounted after Saudi Arabia executed 47 people on "terrorism charges". These included a Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, and an Al-Qaeda leader Fares al-Shuwail al-Zahrani.
The Shia cleric’s execution infuriated Iranian public who ransacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran during a protest demonstration. Protests were also staged by the Iranians in other parts of the world including Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia and Iran both practice Sunni and Shia school of thoughts respectively at state level. They also accuse each other of backing proxies in the war in Yemen and Syria. Saudi-Iran rift is based on ideological differences and its roots can be traced back in history.
