Revive Pak historic relations with Oman

Revive Pak historic relations with Oman

Dr. Jassim Taqui

While the Omanese Charge d’ Affairs Waleed Issa Ali Al Zadjali and members of the Omani Embassy in Islamabad celebrated the 46th National Day of the Sultanate of Oman, one would remember  how the bilateral relations started. It was a dreamy start. The visionary Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said sent his uncle Shabib bin Said Al Said to be the first Omani Ambassador to Pakistan. I have the honor of working under his dynamic and kind leadership though at the time (1971-1972) I was at the peak of my teen. It was a twist of destiny. I was born on November 23, just two days before the movement of November 21.

The Former Prime Minister Z A Bhutto used to be a friend of Shabib. The ties were at the peak. Once, Gen. Zia ul Haq toppled Bhutto in July 1975 and later executed him in April 1979, the bilateral relations started to suffer. The series of military coups and the unending power struggle between the civil and military Establishments put the strong Pak-Omani ties at the back burner.

Unfortunately, the Foreign Office lacks the basics on the Middle East. Historically, Pakistan and Oman were very close since the reign of Zanzibar. The ties peaked when Oman agreed to sell Gwadar to Pakistan on September 8 1958. Gwadar turned to be the launching pad of CPEC. One would wonder .Why the PML (N) government failed to continue Gen. Musharraf’s policy of involving the Sultanate of Oman in this strategic project, which all strategists viewed as “Game Changer”.

Furthermore, Al Said traces itself to Al Azad, the Qahtani who hailed from Yemen and migrated north after the destruction of the Marib Dam.  The historians view Al Azdites as “the kings of Arabs” as seen in a number of inscriptions from the sixth century. Thus Oman’s influenced in the Arab Peninsula is paramount. Why, then, our Foreign Office failed to combine with the Sultanate of Oman to normalize ties with our Saudi and UAE brethren who are disenchanted following PML (N) failed to honor its commitment of sending troops to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia and other GCC states?

Why did the Foreign Office fail to contact Muscat to mediate with India especially when Yousef bin Alawi Abdullah has emerged in the regional and international arena to be the most credible mediator?

Even the American knocked the doors of Yousef to mediate with the belligerent factions of Yemen. The Americans sought Yousef’s help when all mediators failed.