Pakistan and embarrassment go hand in hand with the rogue state stumbling from one embarrassment to another ever since Imran Khan has assumed the reigns of Pakistan. After Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s brilliant decision of blackmailing the Saudis that too on live TV, as usual, Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Bajwa had to clean up the mess as he rushed to Riyadh on Monday to placate the enraged Saudis. In a major embarrassment, Qamar Bajwa failed to secure a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman with the former having to return empty-handed.
As Bajwa along with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed arrived in Riyadh on Monday, it yet again became clear that it is the Military who is calling the shots in Pakistan as the duo weren’t accompanied by any Minister of the Imran Khan government. Everyone knew that this was a last-ditch attempt by Bajwa to placate the Saudis after Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi through it was prudent to blackmail the Saudis over Kashmir. However, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) refused to meet Bajwa as the latter failed to secure a meeting with the Crown Prince.
Bajwa could only meet with Major General Fayyad al-Ruwaili, the kingdom’s chief of general staff. “During their meeting, they discussed prospects of military cooperation and ways to support it as well as other areas of common interest,” read the Ministry’s statement.
All hell broke loose in Pakistan after Qureshi blackmailed the OIC who’s chair is led by Saudi Arabia as during an interview gave an ultimatum to Saudi Arabia, saying that Pakistan will have to look for other options if the OIC doesn’t come forward in support of its stance on Kashmir. “I am once again respectfully telling 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,” said Qureshi in a TV interview.
Qureshi further exclaimed that the OIC led by Saudi Arabia should decide if it wants to stand with Pakistan on such a sensitive issue, as Pakistan will not wait for Saudi Arabia’s support anymore. Soon after the video made headlines, the Pakistani channel removed Qureshi’s statements on Saudi Arabia but the damage to the Imran Khan government was already done.
Recently, Saudi Arabia made Pakistan payback a part of its $3 billion loan signed during Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan. The latter was forced to payback $1 billion four months ahead of its repayment period. Comically, Pakistan took a loan of $1 billion from China to payback the Saudis. Saudi Arabia is also demanding that Pakistan also payback another $1 billion of the loan. The $3.2 billion oil credit facility extended to Pakistan has also expired with Riyadh paying no heed to Pakistani requests to extend the oil facility.
It seems that MBS is in no mood to let Pakistan off the hook as both Khan and Qureshi are hell-bent on siding with Turkey and proclaim Erdogan as the undisputed Caliph of the Muslim Ummah — a post currently held by Saudi Arabia. The Saudis have bailed out Pakistan from a certain economic disaster on multiple occasions but it seems that the erstwhile traditional allies are heading for a bitter divorce thanks to Imran Khan’s incompetence.