In 2018, Pakistan approached Saudi Arabia to seek a loan deposit of $3 billion in foreign currency support for a year. Pakistan also wanted the Saudis to grant $3 billion in deferred payments for oil imports as it was reeling under a massive economic crisis.
However, it was under the impression that Saudi Arabia will not ask for the money back. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who drove the car as the personal chauffeur of the Saudi Crown Prince, Bin Salman got a rude awakening when the money was asked to be repaid.
Pakistan has been known as a nation that has too many masters. Right from its separation from India in 1947, Pakistan has always been in the need of a “Sugar Daddy”. From its creation until the last decade, Pakistan received billions of dollars from the United States along with military hardware for its fight against terror.
Pakistan also got close to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia not only for the shared religion but also the money it received from this oil-rich nation. Over the years, Pakistan was the recipient of several millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia. However, for the Saudis, its money given was to be used to spread Wahabi Islam.
The Imran Khan government made itself a slave of money by two masters: Saudi Arabia, its religious master with oil money and China, the mastermind with deep pockets.
All this changed in the last ten years when even the Saudis started to feel the economic crunch with a steep fall in oil prices. Also, during this time, Pakistan has fallen into China’s debt-trap diplomacy under the guise of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Islamabad secured a $3 billion loan from Riyadh in October 2018, but now it has been forced to pay back $1 billion.
After Imran Khan became the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Kashmir became his sole obsession. Khan made Kashmir as the basis of his foreign policy with Saudi Arabia.
At every forum, Pakistan pushed Saudi Arabia the keeper of the two of the holy mosques in Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia is the leader of the Organisation of Islamic Nations (OIC) and Pakistan has been trying to raise the Kashmir in the OIC.
Pakistan went as far as forming a separate group with the help of Malaysia, Turkey, Iran and Qatar to diminish the hold the Saudis had over OIC.
After OIC failed to raise the Kashmir issue, Imran Khan went to Malaysia and said: “OIC can’t come together on Kashmir, we are divided, we have no voice”. But this decision backfired and the message from Riyadh’s was clear: “Do not undermine our authority with the OIC.”
On Wednesday (August 6) Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi again demanded that the Saudis convene a meeting of Islamic countries on Kashmir.
Qureshi said, ” “I am once again respectfully telling the OIC that a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers is our expectation. 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.”.
Surely such words would create more problems for Pakistan that still owes a lot of money to Saudi Arabia.
Qureshi also mentioned that Pakistan skipped the Kuala Lumpur Summit last December on a Saudi Arabia’s request and now Pakistani Muslims are demanding Riyadh to “show leadership on the issue.” He further added “We have our own sensitivities. You have to realise this. Gulf countries should understand this,”.
Many economic experts even within Pakistan acknowledge that the CPEC is a debt trap and the deal favours only China. Pakistan is claiming that its Iron Brother has come to its rescue again and a Pakistani newspaper said, “Pakistan’s time-tested friend, China, has immediately come forward and extended $1 billion in loan to help Islamabad avoid any adverse impact of the partial withdrawal of the Saudi lifeline.”
But this is far from the truth because the reality is Pakistan has taken loan from China to pay its debt to Saudi Arabia. This would only lead to further indurated servitude.
The timing of the one billion dollar loan given by China could not be perfect as Pakistan approved its costliest CPEC project, the $6.8 billion project to upgrade Pakistan’s railway lines that was built by the British.
It is clear no matter how many times Imran Khan plays chauffeur to his Arab masters, it is not going to help.