Pakistan's secret santa

April 30, 2014 17:01

Did Saudi Arabia really feel obliged to bribe Pakistan with US$ 1.5 billion in order to dissuade Islamabad from selling weapons to the Syrian government? Was it a tip for services rendered '" or yet to be called upon?

Or was the ostensible act of charity intended to distance Pakistan from Iran, whose influence in the region has long been a source of irritation '" and fear '" for Riyadh? It isn't particularly hard to sympathise with the parliamentary opposition's suspicion that there is more to it than meets the eye.

For instance, Pakistani officials have declared that there will be no more arms sales to Syria, while parallel reports suggest that, in fact, the Saudis will supply weapons purchased from Pakistan to Syrian opposition groups via Jordan.

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