Yes, you read it right. Pakistan is having a tiff with one of its oldest and dearest allies of all time, Saudi Arabia. Why? Because Pakistan recently lashed out at the Saudi Arabia-led Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) silence on Kashmir due to which it disowns Pakistan no.
Pakistan lashes out at Saudi led OIC silence on Kashmir
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi recently warned of parting ways with the OIC if it failed to convene foreign ministers meeting regarding Kashmir.
Not only this, but Qureshi also criticized OIC silence about issues, including Kashmir, Babri mosque, and Palestine.
“For one year we have been requesting the OIC to call a council of foreign ministers meeting on Palestine and Kashmir issues where Muslims are facing atrocities while India demolished the 300-year-old Babri mosque and are building a Ram Temple but the OIC remains silent. But why?” Qureshi asked while talking to ARY News recently.
Image: Twitter
Qureshi continued and warned Saudis that “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.”
The damage is done. This has surely infuriated the Saudis who do not take notes from others. As a result, Saudi Arabia has now ended a loan and oil supply to Pakistan, according to the Middle East Monitor.
China comes to Pakistan’s rescue
Pakistan, last week, was forced to repay the Saudi loan of $1 billion. According to several reports, Saudi Arabia disowns Pakistan and called in the loan after Pakistan did criticism on the OIC only.
The loan was part of a $6.2 billion package announced by Saudi Arabia in 2018. It included a total of $3 billion in loans and an oil credit facility amounting to $3.2 billion. Those deals were then signed when Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman visited Pakistan in February last year.
With China helping out, today, Pakistan has successfully repaid $1 billion to Saudi Arabia.
He urged that the OIC must “show leadership on the issue.” Qureshi admitted that “It’s right, I’m taking a position despite our good ties with Saudi Arabia…We cannot stay silent anymore on the sufferings of the Kashmiris.”
Image: Twitter
Qureshi’s remarks against Saudi Arabia also invited criticism at home. There were also unconfirmed reports on social media that the Kingdom has also demanded the Pakistani government to remove him as the foreign minister.
This is not the first time when tension was witnessed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan was earlier pressured by Saudi Arabia to skip a summit in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur in December 2019 due to the presence of the kingdom’s rivals, Iran and Turkey.
Pakistan, under Saudi pressure, missed the summit and caused many to see Islamabad as being highly obedient to Saudi Arabia. Let’s see how long both the governments will this time take to mend their dented ties.
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