Zeeshan Haider
Last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan categorically ruled out the possibility of Pakistan recognizing Israel until there is a homeland for the Palestinians.
But this month, his foreign office was not as unequivocal on the subject as Khan was when he was speaking at the Asia Society in the New York City.
Khan recalled the much-quoted statement of the country’s founder in the 1940s, extending full support for the Palestinian cause.
“Pakistan has a very straightforward position. It was our founder Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who was very clear that there has to be a settlement, a homeland for Palestinians before Pakistan can recognize Israel,” Khan said to a rapturous applause.
However, while commenting on the UAE decision to normalize relations with the Jewish state, the foreign office said Pakistan’s future policy would be guided by its evaluation that how Palestinian rights, including the one for their right to self-determination, as well as regional peace and security are preserved.
The ambiguous statement, in fact, reflects the dilemma Pakistan as well as many Muslim countries, which have been very vocal in supporting the Palestinian cause for a homeland with East Jerusalem as its capital, have been facing in the wake of growing signs that key Gulf states are inching towards recognizing Israel even before the proposed Palestinian state gets a practical shape.
Though the Gulf countries led by the Saudi Arabia are known to have clandestine contacts with Tel Aviv for years but announcement of the UAE-Israel deal to establish full diplomatic relations came out of blue.
Saudi Arabia, arguably the most influential country in the Arab as well as in the Muslim world, has so far, kept a mum on the development but it is unlikely that this move had been made without its blessing. Bahrain, a key Saudi ally in the Gulf, as well as Oman are expected to follow in the footsteps of the UAE.
As expected, Palestinians rejected the move as betrayal while Iran and Turkey strongly denounced the UAE decision. There is however a stunning silence in the rest of the Arab and Muslim world.
Pakistan has been steadfast for Palestinians struggle for a homeland and officially there has never been any move by Islamabad to open contacts with the Jewish state except in 2005 when Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri in the military government of General Pervez Musharraf met with his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalon in Istanbul.
That meeting took place after Musharraf took a nod from then Saudi King Abdullah in line with Pakistan’s traditional policy to closely coordinate its position on key issues concerning Muslim and the Arab world with its close Gulf allies particularly Riyadh.
This time too Islamabad is expected to consult its Gulf friends before making its final position but the announcement about UAE-Israel deal has come at a time when Pakistan’s ties with the Gulf countries are going through a difficult patch in the wake of the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s remarks that Pakistan’s Gulf allies should stop dallying on the convening of a ministerial meeting of the Saudi-led OIC on Kashmir. The delay in the meeting is seen in Pakistan as an attempt to appease India with which the Gulf countries enjoy deep economic and commercial ties.
Qureshi also gave veiled warning that Pakistan could mobilize support from other Islamic countries – an apparent reference to Turkey, Malaysia and possibly Iran which are more vocal in their support for Pakistan’s position in Kashmir.
There has been no official comment from Saudi Arabia on Queshi’s remarks but Riyadh’s former ambassador to Pakistan, Ali Awadh Asseri, in an article published in the Arab News, which seems to reflect Saudi establishment’s thinking, expressed displeasure over Qureshi’s outbursts saying these were “far from reality”. However, he insisted that there is “little scope” for an OIC ministerial meeting on Kashmir, as according to him, the grouping has already done enough in this regard.
Asseri’s article coincided with the visit of Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa which military, however, said was pre-planned and was meant to boost military-to-military and defence relations between the two countries.
This situation has put Pakistan in a tight spot as OIC support has been a mainstay for Pakistan’s position on Kashmir.
Moreover, Pakistan has always likened Kashmiri struggle for right to self-determination with the Palestinian cause and any dilution of its stance on the Palestinian issue could cast negative impact on its position on Kashmir.
Pakistan has to tread a diplomatic tightrope whereby it has to ensure its historical positions on Kashmir and Palestine issue do not appear compromised and at the same time it should keep its strong strategic, economic, political and commercial ties with its traditional allies.
The government needs to consult the political leadership of the country by activating parliament and involve all stakeholders to evolve a consensus on how to deal with the situation by examining all pros and cons.
Pakistan’s vast economic interests are linked to the oil-rich Gulf countries where hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis are eking out their livelihood. But at the same time, Pakistan has been the only country in the Muslim world which has generously helped the Gulf countries to ensure their security.
Both sides have stood by each other through thick and thin and every effort should be made to ensure continuation of this strong relationship but Pakistan also needs to fully secure its own interests on key national issues.
New Delhi is deepening its ties with Islamabad’s traditional Gulf allies while Israel has started making inroads into the volatile region in Pakistan’s neighborhood. This situation has become a big test for the Pakistan’s civil as well as military leadership to ensure that Pakistan strong bonds with Gulf regional countries are fully preserved and offset any adverse impact of these developments on this relationship.
Pakistan should also consult influential Muslim countries before making any final decision on the issue.
The writer is a senior journalist based in Islamabad who could be contacted at Haider
