Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s mediation visit to Saudi Arabia for finding a diplomatic solution to the Qatar crisis did not achieve any immediate breakthrough.Mr Sharif returned to Islamabad after a day-long visit to Jeddah, where he met King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and urged an early resolution of the impasse in Gulf.Accroding to media report, King Salman and Mr Sharif discussed the latest regional developments in addition to bilateral relations.
The Saudi monarch responded by telling Mr Sharif that the fight against extremism and terrorism is in the interest of all Muslims and the Ummah.Saudi Arabia and its allies, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, cut off diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on June 5 on the pretext that its policies are fuelling extremism and terrorism. The crisis erupted late last month over fears that Qatar was trying to improve its ties with Iran, which Saudi Arabia and its allies wanted to be isolated.Qatar, meanwhile, has indicated that it was willing to address concerns of the countries that ended diplomatic relations with it.The current crisis in the Gulf is said to be the gravest that the Gulf Cooperation Council has faced in its nearly four decades of existence, although Qatar’s relations with Saudi Arabia and some other Arab neighbours have not always been good.Other diplomatic efforts have so far not been successful in defusing tensions either.Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad al Jaber Al Sabah, who has been leading the diplomatic initiative, vowed to continue his efforts to resolve the ongoing crisis despite remaining unsuccessful in his earlier bid.Mr Sharif, who is walking a diplomatic tightrope in the Saudi-Qatar row because of strong ties with both sides, reiterated Islamabad’s continued support for Riyadh.
The meeting must have provided an opportunity to Pakistan side to fully comprehend the view point of Riyadh which would be helpful in delineating a workable strategy to defuse tension among GCC countries. Though no details are available but Pakistan must have put forth some proposals for consideration of the Saudi side.At this juncture the PM has been called upon to play a role in resolving the feud between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Pakistan has friendly relations with both which makes it difficult for it to side with one against the other. What is more, Pakistan’s foreign policy tenets require the government to play a conciliatory role in case of a dispute among the Muslim countries instead of taking sides. The Saudi-led diplomatic and economic offensive has created serious problems for Qatar and the region. This is good time for Pakistan to play a leading role in bringing about conciliation between Saudi Arabia and countries like Qatar and Iran. We hope that the Pakistan would continue its efforts to resolve the current gulf diplomatic crisis because it may adversely impact the whole Muslim world.
