Can Diplomacy and Defence Coexist in a Volatile Region?

Foreign policy of the country is being subjected to a review after reports came out that Pakistan was simultaneously conducting its diplomatic initiatives with Iran and defense with Saudi Arabia. Islamabad has been left by critics distraught over its inability to play mediator between both countries, considering Saudi Arabia has already military deals with Pakistan and seems unwilling to end them. It has left critics in pain as Islamabad cannot do a MENA thing while maintaining extra ties with Riyadh through the military path as well. This argument fails to take into account the realities of modern diplomacy in regional areas, though.

Balancing security and foreign policy with several regional actors is an old strategy of Pakistan, which has always had a strategy of balancing the security and foreign policy of multiple actors in the region. Islamabad also has a “sensitive border” of almost 900 kilometers with Iran, while it is also maintaining decades old border relations with Saudi Arabia at both the strategic and economic fronts. Given this fact, Pakistan will not be able to engage in a conflict with either of the two parties. One of its avowed concerns has been peace in the region.

Cooperation between the armed forces of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is no novelty. Defence cooperation between the countries has existed for decades, such as training programs, advisory support and security coordination, joint exercises. In the past, the Pakistan Military has deployed strategic assets within Saudi Arabia on a bilateral agreements basis, where they have had non-combatant and training roles. It is important to not present this historic partnership as a recent ‘escalation during war.

Diplomatic engagement with Iran is not out of the ordinary, either. But, Pakistan has tried often to have a well-balanced relationship with Tehran as any instability on the western border has an impact on Pakistan’s internal security and economy. Despite the prevailing background tensions, there have been attempts to coordinate along the border, engage in trade negotiations, and to exchange views and documents diplomatically between the two nations.

Mediation in international politics may not be mutually exclusive to strategic alliances. Qatar was engaged in the negotiation with the U.S. and the Taliban and at the same time was home to a major American military base. Even during the war, Turkey did not cut the relationship with Russia and Ukraine, and preserved diplomatic channels, being a member of NATO. Likewise, Oman has during history played the role of mediation between the Gulf nations and Iran, whilst maintaining regional security alliances. Thus, Oman, too, has been a mediator in matters between Gulf nations and Iran and maintained regional security relations, Pakistan’s strategy is based on the same concept of strategic balancing.

The second is reliance on hypothetical alternatives as “evidence. Cease fire efforts or military cooperation that “could escalate tensions” or “might affect ceasefire efforts” is a speculation and not conclusive evidence of participation in conflict. Any expectation of future military engagement, future official policies, and future actions must be based on documented or verified actions, policies and military engagements.

The issues of nuclear implications are also very delicate. All nuclear cooperation suggestions must have official documents, treaties, or evidence of credible institutions. If such evidence is lacking, then the raising of nuclear anxiety narratives may lead to doing more fund of sensationalism than to strategic analysis.

De-escalation is also being encouraged in Pakistan because the country has other national interests at stake. The stability of the Gulf region is of paramount importance to the country as it is a major source of oil supplies, shipping routes and remittances from Pakistanis, who are working abroad in Gulf countries. Direct impact on the economy and internal security situation in Pakistan would be directly linked to an escalation of the regional conflict.

Islamabad has been repeatedly appealing for dialogue, cease fire and diplomatic action during regional crises, since this is what Islam demands. The policy of Pakistan is not about siding with any one and against the others but it’s about keeping relations with multiple actors from the region and ensuring stability does not further spread in the region.

In this context, Pakistan’s simultaneous foreign policy with Iran and defence relationship with Saudi Arabia is more a balancing act of a region than some sort of conflict. In an extremely dynamic Middle Eastern landscape, communication is considered to be a necessity rather than a form of lying.