Pak-Saudi relations go beyond normal ideological and political ties

The deportation of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif back to Saudi Arabia earlier this month indicated that the relations between the two countries go beyond normal ideological, political and economic ties, according to a local daily.

Dubai, Sept 19 : The deportation of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif back to Saudi Arabia earlier this month indicated that the relations between the two countries go beyond normal ideological, political and economic ties, according to a local daily.

An article published is the Khaleej Times by Faryal Leghari, a researcher in the Security and Terrorism Program at the Gulf Research Centre here, said that the unprecedented support to the Pakistan government given by Saudi Arabia's leadership in putting diplomatic pressure on Sharif to return to Saudi Arabia was a major deviation from the Saudi government's policy of staying away from controversial political matters.

Leghari writes that breaking their usual reticence by issuing statements in support of the Pakistan Government and urging Sharif to abide by the referred to deal, the Saudi leadership went a step further to exhibit their unstinted support and commitment to Pakistan.

Saudi Intelligence chief and brother of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Prince Muqrin bin Abdal Aziz along with Saad Hariri, son of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, were sent as special envoys to Islamabad, where he reiterated the Saudi government's support to Pakistan, and even showed the agreement reached between Saudi Arabia and Sharif.

Stating that the agreement "was aimed at ensuring stability in Pakistan," Prince Muqrin reiterated that there was a moral obligation to respect the agreement undertaken by Sharif, while conceding respect to the Pakistan Supreme Court.

The article further said that forcibly sent back into exile in Jeddah, Sharif is now expected to remain in Saudi Arabia for the remaining period of his 10-year exile, seven of which have already passed.

"With his return to his homeland and subsequent return to exile in Saudi Arabia on September 10, an already tense and charged political situation is expected to move towards a head-on confrontation between the government and an empowered and independent judiciary that is already on the warpath," predicts Leghari.

He concludes that Sharif's return and subsequent deportation from Pakistan has inadvertently dragged Saudi Arabia into a controversy, "one that it is very careful not to get further embroiled in."

ANI