Will the OIC take Pakistan's side when it comes to dealing with India?

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa held talks with Saudi Deputy Minister for Defence Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz on bilateral defence cooperation and regional security, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday.

“Matters of mutual interest including bilateral defence and security cooperation and regional security were discussed,” the Pakistan military’s media wing further said.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the meeting was held on Monday.

The Saudi statement explained that besides the bilateral cooperation, talks were also held on enhancing cooperation for security and stability in the region. Without elaborating, it said issues of “common concern” were also discussed.

Tweeting after the meeting, Prince Khalid, who is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s full younger brother, said: “Met today with my brother, H.E. General Qamar Bajwa, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff. We discussed bilateral relations, military cooperation, and our common vision for preserving regional security.”

Gen Bajwa had reached the kingdom for defence talks on Monday and met Chief of General Staff Gen Fayiadh bin Ha’med Al-Rowaily, and Commander of Joint Forces Lt Gen Fahad bin Turki Al Saud. Military ties were discussed during those meetings.

Gen Bajwa is being acc*o*mpanied by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Faiz Ha**meed during the visit, which is taking place amidst strain in bilateral ties caused after Foreign Minister Shah Meh*mood Qureshi complained about the Saudi-dominated Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) dragging its feet on Pakistani request for a meeting of its Council of Foreign Ministers on Kashmir.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

The prince is also defense minister and most powerful person..COAS always meets him but this time it was denied..

MBS is listed as de facto head of almost every institution in Saudi, doesn't mean he is going to be sitting in on every finance, sports or military meeting. I think this is you guys reaching for a scenario which you would like without actually knowing the facts.

 

[the Great Khan]

arrest him for what crime?

corruption and living on the proceeds of corruption.

Moving onto the Bajwa not meeting MBS. Good. Acha hua. This is what happens when you try to be achay bachay all the time. The saudis are in the other camp now. We should plow forward with our neutral foreign policy.

 

[Abdullah719]

Pakistan’s PM Khan plays down differences with ally Saudi Arabia

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has played down differences with longtime ally Saudi Arabia after his army chief visited Riyadh in a bid to ease a dispute over policy towards the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

The dispute, brought on by Pakistani demands for Saudi Arabia to take a firmer line against India for what Pakistan says is its human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir, has threatened Riyadh’s financial support for Islamabad.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had no differences, Khan said in a late Tuesday interview, backing away from criticism by his foreign minister this month who suggested Saudi Arabia was indifferent on Kashmir.

“The rumours that our relations with Saudi Arabia have soured are totally false,” Khan said in the interview with the Dunya News television channel.

“Our relations are very good. We are constantly in touch.”

The Saudi government has not commented on the matter.

The Saudi-led Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) has only held low-level meetings on Kashmir, to the frustration of some who want to see a more robust position.

“On the Kashmir issue, there is a view that OIC should have stepped forward,” Khan said.

“Saudi has its own foreign policy. We shouldn’t think that because we want something Saudi will do just that,” he added.

Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi sought a meeting of the OIC.

“If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris.”

Qureshi’s remarks revived Riyadh’s anger, one of the Pakistani military officials and a government adviser earlier told Reuters.

Analysts say Saudi Arabia does not want to risk its business interests in India by supporting Pakistan over Kashmir.

Pakistan and India both claim the Muslim-majority region of Kashmir in full but rule it in part.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...rences-ally-saudi-arabia-200819103415259.html

 

[Major]

corruption and living on the proceeds of corruption.

Moving onto the Bajwa not meeting MBS. Good. Acha hua. This is what happens when you try to be achay bachay all the time. The saudis are in the other camp now. We should plow forward with our neutral foreign policy.

no corruption ever ben proven against bilawal

 

[Browncaps]

arrest him for what crime?

Mercilessly looting Sindh.

Ordering the murder of a journalist who exposed the true colours of PPP for using public funds to purchase crowds for a failed traitor parties rallies.

Attacking PTI election campaign offices in 2018.

Harassing and committing heinous crimes against an American citizen in Pakistan.

Giving false statements that support indian narrative that Pakistan supports violent group on its soil, but never speaking up regarding india killing 70,000 Pakistani citizens through terrorism since 2007.

Using abusive language against the PM of Pakistan on Twitter just like the rest of his thief family and siblings.

Deliberately, looting Sindh non-stop for over half of Pakistan's existence and using nefarious tactics to harass, bully and threaten country's institutions and pulling all stops to delay cases which prove their never ending and despicable theft of Pakistan's resources.

Verbally and physically assaulting media for exposing PPP's theft and destruction of Sindh.

Using a criminal Uzair to harass,murder and intimidate PPP's political rivals,which no sane government on Earth would do.

Want more?

 

[Major]

Mercilessly looting Sindh.

Ordering the murder of a journalist who exposed the true colours of PPP for using public funds to purchase crowds for a failed traitor parties rallies.

Attacking PTI election campaign offices in 2018.

Harassing and committing heinous crimes against an American citizen in Pakistan.

Giving false statements that support indian narrative that Pakistan supports violent group on its soil, but never speaking up regarding india killing 70,000 Pakistani citizens through terrorism since 2007.

Using abusive language against the PM of Pakistan on Twitter just like the rest of his thief family and siblings.

Deliberately, looting Sindh non-stop for over half of Pakistan's existence and using nefarious tactics to harass, bully and threaten country's institutions and pulling all stops to delay cases which prove their never ending and despicable theft of Pakistan's resources.

Verbally and physically assaulting media for exposing PPP's theft and destruction of Sindh.

Using a criminal Uzair to harass,murder and intimidate PPP's political rivals,which no sane government on Earth would do.

Your own O level grades are well known here so will not go down that route.

Want more?

Again, what proof is that bilawal order this.

 

[El Generico]

Again, what proof is that bilawal order this.

There are two ways to look this. One is that he ordered it which means he is directly involved. or if he isn't involved then that means all this happened without him knowing or being able to stop it, in that case he is not strong or component enough to be a leader.

So incompetent or corrupt, which quality do you think would attract the voters the most?

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokes*man Zahid Chaudhri on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and recalled its contributions to the Kashmir cause.

“Pakistan remains committed to the unity of Muslim Ummah and has always worked towards that end. Pakistan will continue its efforts to keep the Muslim Ummah united,” Mr Chaudhri said in his maiden briefing as the FO spokesman.

It should be recalled that what appeared to be a crisis in Pakistan-Saudi Arabia ties began with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s criticism of the OIC for its dilly-dallying on convening of a Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting on occupied Kashmir.

Mr Qureshi had threatened to convene a meeting of the Muslim countries even outside the OIC setting, if the 57-member bloc continued with its reluctance on calling the Kashmir meeting.

Says Islamabad committed to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia

The outgoing FO spokesperson, Aisha Farooqui, had at the last media briefing on Aug 6 defended Mr Qureshi’s statement on OIC, saying it was a reflection of people’s aspirations and expectations from the OIC to raise the Kashmir issue internationally.

Mr Chaudhri praised OIC’s contributions on the issue of Kashmir, saying it had indeed played “an important role” by establishing a contact group, appointing a special envoy of the secretary general on the dispute, and passing a number of resolutions condemning Indian actions and continuing human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

The rare bitterness in tone on the OIC’s role seems to have gone away after Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met his military counterpart and the deputy defence minister.

Mr Chaudhri said Gen Bajwa’s trip “testifies to the unchanged fraternal relations and close contact between the two brotherly countries”. He also referred to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments stressing the importance of ties.

He said Pakistan valued Saudi Arabia’s important role in the OIC Contact Group on Jammu & Kashmir. “Pakistan has an abiding commitment to defending the sanctity of Harmain Sharifain. Pakistan remains firmly committed to the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia,” he maintained and praised the Saudi leadership.

“The people of Pakistan have special reverence and affection for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (Khadim-ul-Harmain Sharifain),” he further said.

On Palestine, the spokesman reiterated there was “no change in Pakistan’s principled position” and repeated Pakistan’s longstanding position on the dispute to dispel the impression created by an earlier vaguely worded statement on the UAE-US-Israel agreement on normalisation of ties.

“We have an abiding commitment to the full realisation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination. For a just, comprehensive and lasting peace, Pakistan has consistently supported a two-state solution in accordance with the relevant United Nations and OIC resolutions as well as international law, with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of Palestine,” he added.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1575575/fo-hails-oic-contributions-to-kashmir-cause

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday categorically rejected speculation that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia's ties had deteriorated, adding that both countries were each others' "support and necessity".

"Pakistan and Saudi Arabia's ties are and were always better," said the foreign minister, speaking to Geo News. "I think no one understands the depth of our relations with each other. We are each others' necessity and support," he added.

He pointed towards Saudi Arabia's stance on the issue of Israel, adding that the kingdom had not strayed from its historic stance on the issue and that Pakistan held the same view.

FM Qureshi said that Gen Bajwa recently visited Riyadh where he held important meetings. He expressed the desire for future meetings to be held with Saudi Arabia on important issues, hoping that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia both fulfill the targets and expectations they had of each other.

The foreign minister spoke about his visit to China, stating that lots of developments had taken place over the past one year that needed to be discussed between the two countries.

"Pakistan, with the help of China, raised the issue of occupied Kashmir three times at the UN Security Council in one year," he said. "China had a standoff with India as well on occupied Kashmir, which has not ended. Hence, you can see that Kashmir is important for both countries," he added.

The minister said that Pakistan and China will also discuss the evolving situation in Afghanistan, as both the government and Taliban move closer towards a political settlement after the exchange of prisoners there.

FM Qureshi revealed that before the trip, he held detailed discussions with PM Imran and Gen Bajwa. He said that people from the foreign office and those representing the GHQ were also accompanying him on the trip.

He said that CPEC will also come under discussion during his visit and both countries have to discuss the time frame of certain schemes part of the project, which included Gwadar, and also deliberate on its targets.

FM Qureshi arrives in China

Qureshi Thursday arrived in southern China’s Hainan province to attend the second meeting of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue. He will lead the Pakistani side while the Chinese side will be led by China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said the visit would help the two countries enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation and strengthen close coordination on international and regional affairs.

“This dialogue mechanism is a platform for the two sides to coordinate exchanges and cooperation in various fields, make policy suggestions on the development of bilateral ties and enhance coordination and co-communication on the international and regional issues,” the spokesperson said. The first dialogue was held in Beijing last year on March 19, which led to many consensuses and played an important role in the development of bilateral relations.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/303794-pakistan-saudi-arabia-each-others-support-and-necessity-fm-qureshi

 

[Abdullah719]

Pakistan will continue to have good ties with Saudi Arabia: Qureshi

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Pakistan enjoys good relations with Saudi Arabia and the leadership of both countries will continue visiting each other.

Talking to the media here on Saturday, Mr Qureshi said the relations with the kingdom would remain friendly. He said political parties of India-held Kashmir had turned against Delhi and the Indian policy on Kashmir had badly failed.

He regretted that India, which claimed its people enjoyed religious freedom, imposed a ban on taking out Muharram processions in occupied Kashmir.

“A ban has been imposed on all types of Muharram gatherings in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian government has deprived the people of Kashmir of their rights,” he said.

The foreign minister said the Pakistan Army and the government were standing with the Kashmiri people and supporting their right to self-determination.

“My request to speakers at the Muharram gatherings is that they should also mention the hardship the Kashmiri people are facing at the hands of Indian forces in their speeches,” he said.

He said India had failed to get Pakistan included in the black list of the the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) despite making efforts.

He claimed the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had prepared the draft laws related to FATF in consultation with the opposition. However, he regretted the opposition voted in favour of the bills in the National Assembly, but opposed the same in the Senate.

He said the water level in the reservoirs of the country was increasing and there were chances of flood.

“There was a flood-like situation is Balochistan and the federal government will provide all kinds of support to the province’s government in this regard,” he said.

He said the Sindh government was responsible for the urban flooding in Karachi.

Mr Qureshi said Shahbaz Sharif was the guarantor of Nawaz Sharif, and he should ensure return of the former prime minister from London as now his (Nawaz’s) condition was better.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1577075/pakistan-will-continue-to-have-good-ties-with-saudi-arabia-qureshi

 

[MenInG]

Earlier this month, the long-simmering tensions between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia came to a boil when Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi publicly criticised the kingdom for its perceived lack of support for Islamabad's interests in the disputed Kashmir region.

During a televised interview on August 4, Qureshi said Islamabad expects the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to convene a meeting on Kashmir. Otherwise, he said, Pakistan would be "compelled" to "call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir". Qureshi’s comments have widely been viewed as a veiled threat to create a new bloc that would rival the Saudi-dominated OIC.

In response, Saudi Arabia withdrew a $1bn interest-free loan it had extended to Pakistan in November 2018, when the country was in dire economic straits and required foreign reserves to avoid a possible sovereign default. The kingdom has also refused to renew a deferred oil payments scheme that was part of the same package.

In a bid to control the damage, on August 17, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-General Qamar Javed Bajwa rushed to Riyadh. However, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) did not grant an audience to Bajwa, and the powerful military chief abruptly returned to Islamabad after holding a short meeting with Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Soon after General Bajwa landed in Pakistan, Qureshi left for China, sending a clear message to the kingdom that Islamabad is diversifying its alliances and re-evaluating the value of its strategic partnership with Riyadh.

The latest diplomatic spat between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan should be seen in the broader context of recent strategic realignments in the Middle East and the Muslim world. For some time, Pakistan has been struggling to keep to its traditional policy of maintaining neutral relations with rival Muslim powers. While Islamabad is concerned about the deepening strategic and economic cooperation between its arch-rival India and a group of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is equally frustrated by Pakistan's overtures towards Muslim-majority states it views as hostile, such as Turkey, Malaysia and Qatar.

Furthermore, the proposed Iran-China deal that is due to make both Islamabad and Tehran important nodes in Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative is expected to change the dynamics of Pakistan's relations with Iran. Saudi Arabia, which views Iran as the main threat to its regional and global ambitions, is concerned about the possible emergence of a new partnership between Iran and Pakistan under the stewardship of China.

After India's August 2019 move to revoke Indian-administered Kashmir's semi-autonomous status, Pakistan expected Arab states to ferociously endorse its Kashmir policy. However, Saudi Arabia - and its Gulf allies, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - failed to take a strong stance against India, frustrating Islamabad.

The Gulf states have balanced their dealings with Pakistan and India in the past. But now, it seems, they are openly moving closer to India and away from Pakistan.

This new strategy was on display during MBS's February 2019 tour of South Asia. The Saudi Crown Prince not only made the unprecedented move of visiting India directly after Pakistan, but also promised to make larger investments in India than he did in Pakistan. After signing a memorandum of understanding valued at about $20bn to help prop up Pakistan's economy, MBS said in New Delhi that he expects Riyadh's investments in India "to exceed $100bn in the coming two years".

A few weeks later, in March 2019, the UAE also made it clear that it is seeking closer ties with India at the expense of Pakistan, when it invited India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj as a guest of honour to the OIC summit it was due to host. Pakistani Foreign Minister Qureshi pulled out of the summit in protest, but failed to make the UAE rescind its invitation to India.

Today, Saudi Arabia has several reasons to value its deepening partnership with India more than its historic ties to Pakistan. While the annual trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia stands at around $3.6bn, Saudi-India bilateral trade is worth more than $30bn. This trade differential partially explains, despite persistent Pakistani requests, why Riyadh has avoided raising the Kashmir issue beyond mere tokenism. Unlike Pakistan, Saudis do not take a zero-sum view of their growing economic cooperation with India. In fact, economic overtures towards India are part of MBS's post-oil economic diversification efforts.

Furthermore, the new government in Pakistan is moving closer to Turkey and Malaysia - two countries that Saudi Arabia views as challengers to its prominence within the Muslim world. Last December, Pakistan caved in to Saudi pressure and pulled out of the Kuala Lumpur summit, which was perceived by many as an attempt to replace the Saudi-controlled OIC. The embarrassment it suffered over the affair made Islamabad more eager to carve out some autonomous policy space to safeguard its vital strategic interests without perpetually depending on its Arab allies. As a result of Pakistan's efforts to be more autonomous, which moved it closer to Riyadh's rivals in the Muslim world, Saudi Arabia started to perceive Pakistan more as a potential rival than a loyal ally. This too likely makes the Saudi leadership less eager to lash out at India over Kashmir.

While Pakistan is undoubtedly well aware of Saudi Arabia's move away from itself and towards India, given its economic dependence on the kingdom, it cannot afford to sever its ties with Riyadh completely. This is why Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan recently played down his country's differences with Saudi Arabia, claiming that the "rumours" about a rift between Riyadh and Islamabad are "totally false".

Amid ongoing strategic realignments in the Middle East and the wider world, we are likely to see many more ups and downs in the relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in the coming days. It appears Saudi Arabia will continue to move closer to India, ignoring Pakistani demands for support on Kashmir. Pakistan, meanwhile, is unlikely to give up on its diverse partnerships and return to Saudi Arabia's orbit. While some friction seems unavoidable, the two long-time allies can prevent further fraying by assuming a pragmatic approach and working to strengthen ties in areas of convergence, such as security.

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/pakistan-balancing-act-failing-200828164701825.html

 

[prakash]

The Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relationship hits a bump in the road

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/orde...-arabia-relationship-hits-a-bump-in-the-road/

Madiha AfzalMonday, August 24, 2020

Excerpts:
It seems Bajwa did not meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), which is significant. Bajwa and MBS had met on the army chief’s previous visits to the kingdom

If Pakistan felt snubbed by how the army chief’s visit went, it has refused to acknowledged it. In an interview last week, Khan sought to dispel the sense of a rift. Yet he also seemed resigned to the idea that Saudi Arabia would not act the way Pakistan wanted on Kashmir going forward: “Saudi has its own foreign policy. We shouldn’t think that because we want something Saudi will do just that.”

What’s clear is that Pakistan’s bold move — concerted or not — didn’t work, and the Saudi response shows Pakistan that it cannot be the “brother” Pakistan wants it to be, at least on Kashmir.

It’s also clear that Pakistan may have to look to other Muslim countries for the support it wants on Kashmir. Turkey, Malaysia, Iran, and Qatar seem willing to step up. But the question is whether Saudi Arabia will let Pakistan move closer to these countries.

For now, Pakistan may have to lay low on the issue of Kashmir’s autonomy. And while there may be cracks in the friendship with Saudi Arabia, it is premature to expect any big realignments.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/orde...-arabia-relationship-hits-a-bump-in-the-road/ .

Most relevant thing that i read from this article was the following:

Many in Pakistan were stunned by Qureshi’s recent remarks — which were out of character with anything Pakistan has officially said to Saudi Arabia in the past — and opposition parties roundly condemned them. Some wondered whether Qureshi spoke out unilaterally, but a number of factors (beyond Qureshi’s deliberative nature) suggest that he may not have acted on his own. It’s not how Khan’s government, which acts in concert with the military, conducts its foreign policy — and especially not on anything to do with Kashmir. There was no immediate rollback from the Foreign Office, which stood by the remarks; nor was Qureshi asked to issue a clarification or apology, as in the past when government members have acted on their own (for example, in September 2018, when one of Khan’s advisers said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor loans had not been negotiated fairly). It seems unlikely that Qureshi acted without explicit approval from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Instead, his interview may have been a risky pressure tactic on Saudi Arabia that backfired.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImranKhanPTI</a>'s interview with Al Jazeera<br><br>"Saudi Arabia will always remain a friend of Pakistan. However, we want OIC to take a bigger role on Kashmir." - Prime Minister Imran Khan<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PMIKonAlJazeera?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PMIKonAlJazeera</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qgl8JN0WJ7">pic.twitter.com/Qgl8JN0WJ7</a></p>— Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1301497674491817984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[BouncerGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1929730583137341527