SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be leaving to Saudi Arabia today after accepting the invitation of New Saudi King. He had to certainly go as there is no question of declining an invitation from Nawaz Sharif’s facilitators. Though it is a precedent that the new Suadi Monarch used to meet number of World leaders yet meeting with Nawaz Sharif has its own agenda. From the Saudi point of view, it would be very much a routine secretive meeting in continuation of well-understood terms of engagement: the new King is not expected to introduce any extraordinary shift in Saudi foreign policy in general or towards Pakistan in particular, and Mr. Sharif is already familiar with and indebted to the Saudi Royal family who were his hosts in exile.
However, Pakistan – as a nation – has entered into a new phase in its life where it needs to significantly redesign the terms of its relationship with the Kingdom. While the economic and military ties between the two countries would continue to be mutually beneficial, Pakistan can no longer accommodate the fundamentalist version of Islam propagated by the House of Saud. Ever since Independence, Pakistan has kept the door open for a Saudi-like model of “Shariah from above” – the need and desire to impose Shariah with necessary force being the primary principle of state policy. However time has changed now, Pakistan is at the verge of destruction and Pakistani PM should convey nation’s concerns to the New Saudi Monarch. If Nawaz Sharif continue to oblige Saudi masters, definitely he would face a strong backlash and this time he may find no way of exit.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
