Ostracising Qatar in brusque manner
In a Muslim world facing all sort of ordeals and challenges, the decision by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar and enforce a blockade has come as a bolt from the blue. The timing is inexplicable as it comes barely two weeks after the US-Arab summit in Riyadh in which President Trump lectured the duly assembled leaders of 43 Muslim countries on ‘good and evil’ and driving out ‘Islamic extremism’, but mainly railed against Iran as sponsor of instability and terrorism in the region. The surprise move is fraught with multiple negative ramifications among which the foremost is further escalating the deadly sectarian divide and causing political and economic turmoil in the Middle East and beyond. To further complicate matters, Qatar houses the Al-Udeid base with 10,000 CENTCOM troops and is the world’s biggest producer of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Within hours of the announcement, its stock market plunged 8 percent on a selling frenzy, while Brent crude rose $1 per barrel to $ 50.42.
The indictments against Qatar range from the Saudi allegation of support to terrorist and sectarian groups (surely a case of the pot calling the kettle black) and Iranian-backed organisations, to Egypt’s accusation of its ‘antagonistic approach’ in supporting terrorist groups and Bahrain’s umbrage over ‘media enticement … funding linked to Iranian groups to carry out sabotage and spreading chaos in Bahrain’. Did the Saudis go overboard with the unequivocal Trump endorsement after their lukewarm Obama relationship?
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry denied any ‘legal justification’ for its isolation, and maintained that ‘the campaign of incitement is based on lies that had reached the level of complete fabrication’. Pakistan –Qatar relations remain unchanged as Pakistan has always favoured a united Ummah. The Gulf fray might turn out to be a blessing in disguise as it puts a huge question mark on the Islamic military alliance, which has caused great controversy and concern within the country. Whether it will impact the Qatari Amir’s letter in Panama Leaks in any way, remains to be seen!
