Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi openly threatened Saudis in a TV interview and Saudi Arabia recently asked Pakistan to return one billion USD (out of 3.2 billion loans which they gave to Pakistan last year). On TV, Pakistan threatened to pull out of OIC if OIC fails to convene submit against India on Kashmir issue. There are indications that Saudis may not extend deferred payment option for oil sale to Pakistan. It is believed that Pakistan have returned 1 billion USD to Saudi Arabia by borrowing money from China. As per some news, Saudis have now demanded additional 1 billion USD. We have seen in last few years that Pakistan is going closer to rivals of Saudis — Turkey and Iran.
I think that this fallout is result of new geo-politics equation. Saudis are closer to America and now they are growing closer to Israel. Dur to their good relations with US and Israel, Saudi-India relationship is on all time high. On the other hand Pakistan is firmly in Chinese camp. China is going to sign massive deals worth 400 billion USD with Iran. Thus Pakistan unwillingly finds itself in camp with Iran. Saudi Arab can’t tolerate that their close ally Pakistan can become so friendly with Iran. Pakistan-Turkey relations have strengthen in last few years and Erdogan’s dream of new Ottoman Empire will never be liked in Riyad due to history (One Saudi King Abdullah bin Saud was beheaded by Ottomans in their capital in 1818 and many parts of Arab world was ruled by Turks till 1st world war).
China also has a good relations with Saudi led Sunni block but China will give more importance to Iran & Pakistan. On the same way, Saudi Arab will any day prefer America over China. Another factor is that Pakistan think that they are leader of Muslim Ummah. They think that the international relations are binary. Their hope is that all friends of Pakistan should downgrade their relations with India. Even China has enormous trade with India and China last years earned almost 60 billion USD (equivalent to CPEC) from trade with India. How can Saudi Arabia downgrade their relations with India? India is the second largest net buyer of oil in world and today’s oil market in buyer’s market. India offers excellent opportunists for Saudi investments. And more Indians (than Pakistanis) live and work in Saudi Arabia. Pakistani news channels and social media have started to criticize Saudis and supporting Turkey. Last evening #TurkeyIsNotAlone was trending on Internet due to tweets by Pakistani users. Such public outrage may not go well with Saudi Arab, UAE etc. Many times Pakistani public and leaders get carried away on issue of Islam and forget their own national interests.
I think Pakistan may have got some assurance from China that they will back Pakistan and Pakistan can target American allies (including Saudi Arabia). Pakistan would not have dared to challenge Saudis without Chinese backing. The stage for new cold war in West and South Asia is set between two US and China led groups. Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Russia may become part of Chinese camp and India, Israel, Saudi Arab, UAE etc. may become part of American camp.
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