Pakistan has been crying foul ever since India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution and also bifurcated the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, which will come into effect from October 31. Pakistan tried garnering support from countries across the world and also made a specific appeal to the grouping of Islamic countries- Organisation of Islamic countries (OIC) over this issue. What must have come as the biggest disappointment and reality check for Pakistan is the fact that even the OIC called for resolving Kashmir issue through bilateral negotiations. The fact remains that Pakistan has always been of the belief that it has the unconditional support of OIC when it comes to frictions with India. However, its belief must have taken a hit after this development.
Now, in what comes as a bigger snub for Pakistan is the fact that after this major disappointment from the OIC, two countries of the said grouping- the Kingdom of Bahrain and the UAE are all set to host PM Modi on a state visit. UAE-India ties have deepened greatly in the recent past which has been corroborated after the manner in which UAE backed India over the latter’s Kashmir move. The UAE had clearly stated that abrogation of Article 370 was India’s internal matter. Modi government has been able to forge really strong ties with the UAE and the latter has emerged has one of the closest allies for India in the Arab world. Recently, it was reported that the UAE had assured India that it would cover any shortfall in oil supplies to India following the US sanctions on Iran. The UAE Ambassador to India, Ahmed Al Banna had disclosed this welcome news himself.
PM Modi’s visit to the UAE scheduled for 23-24 August is going to be his third visit to the said country in four years, which highlights the degree of proximity shared by the two countries. He is also going to visit Bahrain making him the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Bahrain. According to an MEA statement PM Modi would also receive the Order of Zayed, the highest civil decoration of the UAE. What makes this even more significant is the fact that it is being bestowed upon PM Modi in the year of birth centenary of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, after whom this award has been named.
India-UAE share significant trading relations. In fact, UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner, making the Arabian country a key player for India. The UAE is also the fourth-largest exporter of crude oil for India, making the bilateral relations between UAE and India that much more important. These relations are only going to get stronger after PM Modi’s state visit to the Arabian country is only going to deepen the ties between the two countries. This is set to come as a major heartburn for Pakistani, whose all out diplomatic offensive has now clearly failed to make any mark at the international level.