First off it was an ironic site to see the flamboyant Imran Khan, a former cricketer and a heftily wealthy man, to be seen begging at places where he had earlier used to flash his wealth and unleash lavishness. Of course China has no cricketing history nor has it a history of promoting tourism. So, Khan's flamboyance is not known in China except for intelligence inputs.
Well, the Chinese had already lent a billions of dollars to Pakistan for the pet projects of Mr. Xi Jinping the CPEC and OBOR. It has been lamented in Pakistani media that the Nawaz Sharif Government has eaten up almost half of the money in the personal coffers of the men in power. Rest of the money was involved in contracting work. That too has gone down the drains, as the Pakistanis had preferred black listed Chinese firms for contracting work. If the Chinese Government has everything under its control in China why do they have blacklisted firms? If we drill down in this point, we'd rather be discussing the shylocking of China than the Pakistani issues.
Government of China had stepped in and invested more money (around $55bn so far) in the CPEC and had started work. With the new setup, Pakistani companies have been totally sidelined. Whole work had gone to Chinese companies and the preferred labour too are Chinese. Pakistani subcontractors have been relegated to take the left overs from the Chinese tables. They have to do the work too, not like earlier times, when they used to take the contract pocket the money and spend for the master during elections.
In this case the Chinese have total control over the Gilgit-Balistan region, Balochistan till the Gwador port. Pakistan's famous and feared Rangers have no powers in this region. With the road being laid and traffic open the Chinese vehicles are exempted from toll. Well how about the rest of the commuters? Who are all commuting in "the road"? Chinese. Who else? None so far. So what is the income for Pakistan through this road? The mathematical invention of ancient India.
Well, strapped in this trap, the Pakistani establishment has been through another financial turmoil. Their police force has not been paid adequately and money meant for further facilities for the forces had been appropriated by the political masters. So, the forces are under paid and under equipped. They don't command any more the fear and consequent respect they have been used to from the Chinese. They serve as mere security guards to the Chinese work force.
It is also a known information, kept off the media flash though, that the Pakistani Armed forces and Government had been ordered to keep off the resource rich Balochistan region for 3 months by the Chinese. To ensure compliance, two Chinese navy ships have been stationed in Gwador port for the period and the area is under Chinese surveillance. IMF and World Bank have warned Pakistan of getting into a debt trap with China, but China has claimed that the CPEC & OBOR have generated 70000 jobs in the region. For who is the question to be asked, but Chinese are not used to questioning authorities and may not tolerate!
Well, what does all these have to do with Saudi Arabia stepping in with billions of dollars to pump in to the ailing Pakistani economy? What is the necessity to promise an all weather support for Pakistan? Saudis have already told a No to Imran Khan when he visited them with a begging bowl. But now what has effected this sudden change? What bonds them with Pakistan so forcefully? That is a bomb. That is called the Islamic Bomb. Also known as the nuke of Pakistan. The infamous bomb put together by the infamous AQ Khan by stealing nuclear technology from Belgium and other European countries.
Getting a bit back into the history, we all know Israel has been surviving and thriving in a region surrounded by enemies. A tiny piece of land with population unmatched to any given province of any Arab country, the survival and thriving of Israel is a case study material. Important point is the preemptive attacks Israel had carried out around the Arab world to thwart their nuclear progammes. Egypt, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Libya have been targets of Israel as they all had a nuclear dream and were working with one force or the other towards materialising it.
Saudi Arabia and other highly oil rich Arab countries have preferred to have their nuke made at a remote place. Their obvious choice was Pakistan. With India ridiculously supporting the Arab world their choice was the best they could to develop a nuke secretly. But Israel had detected that too in the late 1970s and informed the new nuke power, India. The Kao boys were ready to thwart and the Israeli plan looked awesome. But there stood a procedural hassle. The Kao boys have to get a nod from the Prime Minister of India.
Morarji Desai, the then PM, had a bad feeling about R&AW as he saw it as the Police force of his political rival Indira Gandhi. So, he vetoed the idea of attacking Pakistani nuke plant and instead informed Gen.Zia about it inadvertently to boast he knew of what they were doing. Zia took cue from there and started hunting for R&AW assets in Pakistan and finally the Mossad's plan was shelved. Pak's nuke was not their brain child. It was stolen from many countries in Europe by its so boasted father of Islamic nuke Abdul Qadeer Khan. AQ Khan now cannot enter many European countries as they've a look out notice for him.
Finally with the bomb ready and tested in the Chagai hills in the late 1990s, it was boasted as Islamic bomb and Pakistan has been the custodian of it. Being the major investor in that Islamic nuke, Saudi Arabia cannot afford to lose Pakistan's establishment to China. China is known to have been a cruel shylock and picking up key assets from nations it lends to. SriLanka's Hambantota port is a key example. Gwador is on its way to Chinese total control.
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman (MBS) had trusted his Military arm to fight terrorism, and reportedly his own security, with the retired Pakistani Army chief Gen.Raheel Qureshi. Pakistan has been known for its military support to Saudi Arabia with a Division of it's forces in Saudi land and under it's command. General officers are amenable to Saudi Arabia have seen their elevation to the top job in Pakistani Army. Saudi Arabia with no strong ground forces of its own and their Royal family members preferring to command than fight, their defence establishment is dependent on Pakistani Army.
Saudi Arabia (read the ruling Saud family) is now suffering with the consequences of its own actions. It wishes to have its establishment be clear of the Wahhabi ideology it had propagated in the war against Soviet Union, but with their own coffers now not over flowing, they've started worrying about money. Now they wish to run business safely and earn money as it was flowing earlier. With the world moving to solar and electric energy, the demand of oil has started plummeting. This has Saudi Arabia worrying most and they prefer to keep their establishments and investments safe and under control.
We all know that the Saudis have honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the highest civilian honour of their country. They respect Modi very much and is evident from the talks of the de facto ruler MBS. Saudis prefer to do business with Modi heading the Indian setup rather than anyone else. But when it comes to trust, Saudis trust only a slave Islamic set up rather than a Hindu leader who works towards making his country's identity and power felt around the world. Not to forget that the Saudi Arabia's official ideology Wahhabi Islam's aim is to have a Dar-ul-Islam (an Islamic world) where other religions have no place.
With all these said, we can safely conclude that the Arab nations can be respected, done business with, but when it comes to trust, India has to be doubly alert on all fronts. Pakistan, as it is famously said, a country run for the military establishment's existence will never develop economically. Civilian growth is a non starter there. All we need to worry about are two things. Their armed forces and the terrorists they groom on their soil. First thing we know much about and have our counter measures. Second thing, we need to be ruthless to chase and eliminate to ensure our safety.
There is a third thing. To have an utmost safety, we should by all means, try and eliminate the bomb that bonds Pakistan with highly oil rich Arab nations.
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