Why did Imran Khan not attend the Kuala Lumpur Islamic Summit that was organized by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad and attended by Turkish President Erdogan and Iranian President Hasan Rouhani? Why did he yield to Saudi pressure to skip it?
What are Pakistan’s key economic and security interests in Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC)? Is labor Pakistan’s biggest export earning over $20 billion a year? What is the biggest export market for Pakistan’s labor? What would happen if Pakistan joined Malaysia and Turkey in creating a new Muslim bloc competing with the Arab-led Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC)? Will OIC try to live up to Pakistan’s expectation of a tougher stance against India’s Modi vis a vis Indian Occupied Kashmir and Indian Muslims?
Who makes Pakistan’s foreign and security policies? How influential is the Pakistani military in making these policies? Is Imran Khan free to pursue whatever policies he personally prefers? Would any other Prime Minister have pursued a different policy with GCC nations?
ALKS host Faraz Darvesh discusses these questions with Sabahat Ashraf (ifaqeer) and Riaz Haq (www.riazhaq.com).
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