Assad: the survivor

Dr. Jassim Taqui

DG Al-Bab Institute for Strategic studies

There are so many titles for the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad but the most outstanding is his quest for peace that made him survive when almost most of the countries joined one way or another in the Western-supported and finance civil war. The Syrian president faced tremendous pressure to toe the western line. The western powers did everything to make him kneel including open support to Jabhatul Nusra, which is a new name for Al-Qaeda but he never budged.

Believing in the cause of the Syrian people, Assad introduced reform and formed an inclusive and non-sectarian government.

The stick that has been used by the countries opposing him is unilateral economic sanctions, making Assad’s key backers, Iran, Russia, and China, continue to prop up his government somehow unhindered. Sanctions failed to deliver; making him maneuver as he and his father have done for decades.

Assad realized that submitting to the demands of US-led western countries would be disastrous and a tool to overthrow him from power.

Assad had conducted elections successfully despite terror threats and won a massive mandate. Since then he never looked back. He got massive support in the 2021 elections. For the first time in the Syrian Presidential elections, two candidates participated along with Assad. The turnout was 78.64. Assad won over 13 million votes or over 95.1 percent.

Pakistan has always supported Syria on the highest levels. In 2010, President Asif Zardari paid a state visit t to Syria to meet with President Bashar al-Assad  to expedite the exchange of delegations at both government and private levels in political and economic sectors, eventually signing a trade treaty in 2010

Ultimately after the start of the Syrian civil war, Pakistan adopted a policy of neutrality and pushed its non-belligerent role during the conflict. The official stand of Pakistan keenly opposes the use of military strikes against Syria. At the meeting of the UNSC, Pakistan abstained from the vote on an anti-Syria resolution in the UN GENERAL Assembly Conference held by Iran, Pakistan urged the international community to respect Syria's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Pakistan has strongly urged the United States and western powers to avoid the use of military force in Syria. In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson AizazChaudhry maintained that Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. Pakistan has greatly expressed deep concerns over the ongoing violence and threat of possible American military action looming large over already embattled Syria.

By December 2015, Pakistan's foreign affairs stated that it is against any attempt to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Almost all Arab countries changed their stances and opened their diplomatic missions in Damascus. Peace has ultimately won.