New Delhi: Pakistan had tried to project itself as a net security provider in West Asia and even tried opening the possibility of setting up an Islamic NATO. Considering that Pakistan is a nuclear state, it felt that it could lead such a coalition, and the creation of the Islamic NATO would take centre stage in West Asia.
Pakistan entered into a defence pact with Saudi Arabia, following which even Turkey sought a similar agreement with Islamabad. Pakistan had hoped to even rope in Egypt and Somalia into this alliance. When Pakistan felt that everything was going in its favour, the US-Israel-Iran conflict broke out.
Iran began hitting US targets in several Gulf nations, and Saudi Arabia, in particular, hoped that Pakistan would honour the defence pact and stand by it. Officials say that Pakistan has a problem of plenty and hence has backed out from supporting Saudi Arabia. It cannot afford to anger the 15 per cent Shia population in the country. Although smaller in number when compared to the Sunnis, the Shias are present throughout the ranks of the Pakistan military.
Pakistan also cannot join the US and Israel, as this would anger the Sunni population within the country, who are viewing the ongoing war as a religious one between the Muslims and the Christian-Jewish combine.
Another official said that Pakistan, which was riding high on its newfound ties with the US and a defence pact with the Saudis, ultimately turned out to be an opportunist nation. The manner in which the events have unfolded of late makes it clear that globally, Pakistan is very low on trust and cannot be relied upon when a problem hits a nation.
Another official said that Pakistan had made a very desperate push to set up the Islamic NATO and also be its key player. The official added that Pakistan’s lack of commitment during a crisis situation, coupled with its opportunist nature, ended its dream of an Islamic NATO. With this, Islamabad’s strategic ambitions in West Asia also collapsed, the official added.
With the Islamic NATO dream collapsing like a pack of cards, Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, tried playing a role by offering to negotiate between the US and Iran. However, Iran has rejected the offer. There are plenty of trust issues between Iran and Pakistan. It may be recalled that in January 2025, Iran had dropped missiles and conducted drone attacks on the terror group, Jaish-al-Adal’s bases in Balochistan.
Pakistan watchers say that with one policy after the other failing, Munir has decided to step up the heat on Afghanistan. The experts say that Munir, who had projected himself as a great leader capable of rewriting Pakistan’s position on the global stage, has failed miserably.
After he arm-twisted his way into becoming a Field Marshal after the losses his terror groups faced during Operation Sindoor, Munir is also being questioned internally. Of late, he has not been consulting with the political class and has been making decisions unilaterally. It is not about saving Pakistan’s face anymore. It is about trying to make Asim Munir look good, officials say.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that Munir will not step up the heat on Afghanistan and also indulge in widespread atrocities in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where the Pakistan security forces are battling against the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In Afghanistan, Pakistan has indulged in atrocities and in one attack, over 400 children were killed after a school in Kabul was bombed. The official also adds that the Indian security agencies, too, need to remain on very high alert as Munir would tell his forces to step up tensions along the border. Field Marshal Asim Munir is a desperate man, and owing to multiple failed policies, both internally and externally, he is likely to indulge in some major misadventure.
(IANS)
