- Pakistan has to remain neutral in Gulf stand off
In order to divert attention from his ongoing impeachment, US President Donald Trump is pushing for another calamitous Middle East war. The assassination of Maj Gen Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top commander and the second most influential figure in his country, along with a number of Iraqi militia leaders on Friday was tantamount to an act of war with grave long-term consequences. As if this was not enough provocation, yet another act of terrorism was committed on Saturday by the USA. A Popular Mobilisation Forces convoy was bombarded, leaving six dead, in Iraq. While the USA has denied having conducted the attack, Iraqi state television said the airstrikes were carried out by the USA. Only a day before, the Pakistan Foreign Office had maintained that respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity are the fundamental principles of the UN Charter which should be adhered to. It had also underlined the need to avoid unilateral actions and use of force.
The peacetime killing of a top general of a country on the orders of the leadership of another is a clear act of war. The Iranian ambassador to the UN was spot-on when he said a military action can only be responded by another military action. A self-respecting country is expected to respond to such acts at a time and place, and with a type of response, of its choice. Unless it does so, it is likely to be taken as a pushover and bullied further.
The day after the Baghdad killings President Trump authorised the resumption of Pakistan’s participation in a US military training and educational programme in order to strengthen military-to-military cooperation on shared priorities and to advance US national security. Pakistan has to give priority to its long-term interests rather than being swayed by sops of the sort. Pakistan must take a cue from the joint China, Russia and Iran naval exercises held last week in the Gulf. Sanity requires not taking any partisan position but maintaining neutrality in the Gulf polarisation. Every country in the region would suffer if President Trump is allowed to get away with his gunboat diplomacy.
