Hussain Saqib
Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia make a very complex triangle of relationships. Unfortunately, Pakistan can enjoy good relationships with only one of them. Our strategic compulsions, however, do not allow us to abandon any one of them. Iran is Pakistan’s Western neighbor and sits on the periphery of Pakistan’s most troubled province, Balochistan. Iran has a Balochistan of its own and figures in the international conspiracies to carve out an Independent Balochistan comprising Pakistani and Iranian Balochistan. Jundullah, an anti-Iran terrorist group operating from Pakistan is sponsored and funded by the CIA. Pakistan has to collaborate with Iran to fight and neutralize separatist elements in Balochistan.
Iran holds the key to regional
peace; Afghanistan being center of gravity. Iran has its stakes and influence
in non-Pashtun Afghanistan. It has military ties with India and its Chabahar
port, very close to Gwadar, was built by India to encircle Pakistan, in line
with its strategic objectives. If Pakistan antagonizes Iran, it risks increased
Indian influence on its West and South-West. It will be a tough task with India
all poised to assume greater role in Afghanistan after NATO drawdown of troops.
It may be kept in mind that in order to develop Chabahar port, India has
already built road infrastructure on Iran-Afghanistan border spending $750
million which will provide an access to Central Asia from Iran and neutralize the
positive outcome of Gwadar port for Pakistan. It is for this reason that India
and US are investing funds in Balochistan insurgency to prevent Pakistan and
China from taking advantage of Gwadar. Gwadar will only be useful after
Pakistan build roads and rail infrastructure in Balochistan which, given the
intensity of insurgency, is not possible for Pakistan anytime soon.
Pakistan’s geo-strategic
location is very interesting. It is very close to the mouth of Strait of Hormuz
and every ship carrying all oil for East of Pakistan passes through North Arabian
Sea i.e. Pakistan’s territorial waters. Any tension in the region and an
imminent clash of interest of the world with Iran will direct impact Pakistan’s
economic, political and strategic stability.
Pakistan is an energy deficient
country. The natural answer to this problem is import of gas from Iran for
which IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline project was initiated. Fearing
incidental benefits of this project to China and also under US pressure, India
is already out of this project. Pakistan is also under immense US pressure to
abandon the project and concentrate on a very unfeasible TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India)
gas pipeline project. Pakistan has yet not abandoned IP project and is a target
of fury of US and its allies. Though Pakistan is still a part of the deal but
its lukewarm response is already frustrating Iran. Any delay in launching the pipeline project
will cost Pakistan Iran’s goodwill
Another difficult development
is Iran’s pursuit of its nuclear program. This also threatens the regional
peace with India and Pakistan already in possession of nuclear capabilities.
Iran’s nuclear program threatens Israel and the US-Israel nexus can go to any
limit to deprive Iran of this capability.
This is where the Saudi
strategic interests figure in. Saudi Arabia has been Iran’s traditional
adversary. These adversarial relationships were under wraps prior to 1979 when
both the countries were America’s Cold War allies but the these adversarial
relationships intensified after Iran was ruled by religious clergy whose
religious beliefs are opposed to those of Saudi Arabia. Both the countries have
not fought any war so far but they are in proxy war since 1979 and the battle
field, unfortunately, has been Pakistan. Sectarian violence intensified in
Pakistan causing deaths and bitterness and polarizing Pakistani society. Saudi Arabia
does not approve of Pakistan’s close relations with Iran and tries to drive
wedge between the two neighboring countries. Increased attacks on Hazaras of
Balochistan and other Shia pilgrims by pro-Saudi extremists outfits is a clear
indication that Saudi Arabia can go to any limit to teach Pakistan a lesson for
its Iran relations.
Iran’s nuclear program is
viewed a direct threat, not only to Israel but also Saudi Arabia and its
allies. Recent troubles in Bahrain against the ruling regime supported by Saudi
Arabia triggered under Iranian influence played a great part in further
worsening Iran-Saudi Arabia relationships. It is generally assumed that any
possible strike on Iran’s nuclear installations will have a tacit approval and
support of Saudi Arabia. There were rumors in the recent past that Saudi Arabia
had offered Israel to use its airspace for aerial attacks on Iran.
Pakistan’s economy depends on
Saudi Arabia in more than one ways. Nearly 60% of foreign remittances, a life
blood for Pakistan’s economy, come for Pakistani diaspora working in Saudi
Arabia and its allied countries. These workers not only bring petro-dollars,
they also harbor close sympathy with these Arab countries. This gives a great
leverage to Saudi Arabia to meddle in Pakistan’s affairs directly and also
through right-wing clergy funded by Saudis. This clergy was strengthened in
Afghan jihad through massive donations which promoted Wahabi Islam and its violent side in Pakistan. The extremists in
Pakistan are still sympathetic to Saudi Arabia and derive strength from its
religious policies of intolerance.
In addition to this, Pakistan
has to depend on Saudi oil to power its economy which is available on deferred
payments. Saudi Arabia is practically a US-satellite country. Pakistan often
uses Saudi influence to reach out to the US in difficult times. Like other
financial institutions, Saudis also extend economic cooperation to Pakistan
when it is approved of by the US.
Saudis are suspicious of the
current regime in Pakistan and are apprehensive of its pro-Shia policies. They
think that PPP government is playing a dual role; trying to please both Iran
and Saudi Arabia. The space created by this suspicion is proactively being
filled by India which worries Pakistan. Saudi Arabia was visibly unhappy over
the closure of NATO supplies for such a long period. The Saudi decision to hand
over Mumbai attack suspect to India was pressurize Pakistan to come to terms
with the US, and by implication with Saudi Arabia.
This situation is a cause of
concern for Pakistan’s security establishment. It cannot afford to annoy Saudi
Arabia for economic and political reasons. Warming up of Saudis to India is
another cause of concern. As for Iran, it was never a reliable friend for a
variety of reasons but it could have been kept in good humor had Saudi-Iran
standoff not caught Pakistan. India is building bridges with Pakistan’s friends;
Afghanistan is already hostile and has traditionally been a safe haven for
anti-Pakistan elements of all hues, including Baloch nationalists. In this
situation, Iran can be a source of more worries if it keeps annoying
international community. It could be even more worrisome if it repairs its
relationship with India after the recent banning of Iranian oil in Indian
waters and India’s jumping the IPI ship.
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