(CDF / COAS)'s Desk

[Taimoor]

Pakistan doesn’t have the bandwidth to go too many steps at once. Besides, down the line Pakistan needs the GCC as a market for its products and its workers.

Personally, I see diaspora in GCC as liability to Pakistan and some solution must be found, as these GCC lot have blatantly used them against Pakistan as bargaining chip. Known fact that MBS threaten Pakistan on diaspora issue when IK was going to Malaysia to attend the summit. You cant really work with these lot on long term bases, I mean what do you make of an idiot who felt threatened by IK because he was becoming a bigger figure then him on international stage? Action speaks louder then words, going forwards, at best , keeping them at arms length should be observed. Their ingress into our affairs has nothing but negative repercussions on Pakistan and its interests.

 

[FuturePAF]

Personally, I see diaspora in GCC as liability to Pakistan and some solution must be found, as these GCC lot have blatantly used them against Pakistan as bargaining chip. Known fact that MBS threaten Pakistan on diaspora issue when IK was going to Malaysia to attend the summit. You cant really work with these lot on long term bases, I mean what do you make of an idiot who felt threatened by IK because he was becoming a bigger figure then him on international stage? Action speaks louder then words, going forwards, at best , keeping them at arms length should be observed. Their ingress into our affairs has nothing but negative repercussions on Pakistan and its interests.

Liability or not, they exist to keep a large part of the population fed. Any solution has to take them into account.

This is why I suggest the diaspora outside of the gulf raise funds to support any effort. Even $5 billion is a lot in a country so starved of funds as Pakistan.

 

[_NOBODY_]

It’s not that simple. PTI needs a Real plan. One that realigns Pakistan on business fundamentals and geopolitical fundamentals, such that a long lasting new Pakistani establishment can be formed. One that can change the dynamic. PTI as a right of center party can align itself with the republicans, displacing the traditional spot of the Pakistani military, while PPP (and the Pakistani Champagne “socialists”) are aligned with the American Democratic Party.

The Pak military’s pitch to the US will be the same old “Afghan Safari”; pay us and we let you fly over our country to go kill some Afghans.

PTI’s IK and Trump are both unique figures. Both have great relations with the Afghan Talib. Now is the time to make the business plan for American mining in Afghanistan in exchange for US recognition of the Talibs. Akin to Roosevelt and the Saudi relationship with oil. Pakistan also has mines to explore and oil fields to develop. In the mean time Pakistan needs investment to make our industries and agriculture competitive, markets for our products, education for our best and brightest, ways to fund social development in Pakistan, and jobs for our population, even if it’s in assembly plants for products to the US market.

PTI needs a business plan to actually use the leverage IK built up. Otherwise it will go to waste.

With the US on board. Pakistan can then go on to adjust its relationship with the GCC, being competitive at seeking their contracts for big projects, not just working the small jobs. Finally with economics corrected, we can work on joint ventures with China to transfer tech on the high volume background tech and move up the efficient of our industries, such as agriculture.

PTI is leftist party just like PPP. What makes you think that PTI is anything like the Republicans? Did you PTI's manifesto?

 

[Tamerlane]

Personally, I see diaspora in GCC as liability to Pakistan and some solution must be found, as these GCC lot have blatantly used them against Pakistan as bargaining chip. Known fact that MBS threaten Pakistan on diaspora issue when IK was going to Malaysia to attend the summit. You cant really work with these lot on long term bases, I mean what do you make of an idiot who felt threatened by IK because he was becoming a bigger figure then him on international stage? Action speaks louder then words, going forwards, at best , keeping them at arms length should be observed. Their ingress into our affairs has nothing but negative repercussions on Pakistan and its interests.

You said what I was thinking about. Pakistanis in the Gulf and in particular in Saudi Arabia are hostages. The are used to blackmail Pakistan and force it to do things against its own interests. I recall that they also threatened to deport Pakistanis at the time of the first Gulf War against Iraq.

I have some questions that I hope someone can answer.

1. Apart from the recurring threat to deport Pakistanis what other leverage does Saudi Arabia have over Pakistan?

2. What kind of deal does Saudi Arabia have with the Pakistan Army? Is the deal known to the public, or is it a secret?

3. What does Pakistan get in return for Saudi Arabia hiring the Pakistan Army? Are the generals privately on Saudi payroll, or does the country get something?

4. Why is the Saudi hold over the Pakistan Army so strong that the generals are willing to harm Pakistani interests by overtrhrowing its elected government and ruining its economy?

5. Is the current relationship with Saudi Arabia beneficial to Pakistan or causing more damage?

 

[FuturePAF]

PTI is leftist party just like PPP. What makes you think that PTI is anything like the Republicans? Did you PTI's manifesto?

Any kind of social safety net would seem leftist from the status quo, but I think it is more of a center right party, hence its ability to displace PML-N more easily than PPP, beyond the ethnic factor.

 

[lightning f57]

Well, if those offshore wells do after all have billions of barrels of oil, dependency on GCC ends, Trump all of a sudden wants to know who Pakistan is. Until they dont drill we wont know for sure.

 

[ghazi52]

Army chief Gen Asim Munir awarded guard of honour during UK visit​

Dawn.com
February 19, 2025

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir awarded guard of honour at the historic Royal Horse Guards Parade Ground in UK. — ISPR

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir was awarded a ceremonial guard of honour during his visit to the United Kingdom, according to a statement by the military’s media wing.

The army chief is set to participate in the seventh Regional Stabilisation Conference at the esteemed Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he will deliver the keynote address on ‘The Emerging World Order and Pakistan’s Future Outlook’, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement.

The annual conference serves as a platform for military dialogue between Pakistan and the UK to foster collaboration, bringing together policymakers, both civilian and military, as well as members of prominent think tanks from both countries.

“The COAS will engage with key members of the UK’s civil and military leadership to discuss matters of mutual interest,” the statement said, adding that he will hold meetings with Chief of Defence Staff UK Adm Toney Radikon, Chief of the General Staff of the British Army General Sir Roland Walker and UK National Security Advisor Jonathan Nicholas Powell.

The army chief will also meet Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss shared challenges and foster deeper collaboration.

Pakistan and the UK share a long-standing relationship rooted in strong diplomatic, economic, and security ties. Over the years, the two countries’ militaries have maintained robust cooperation, particularly in the domains of counterterrorism and professional training, the statement noted.

Gen Munir will also visit prominent units of the British Army, including the Land Warfare Centre and the 1st Strike Brigade, where he will receive briefings on the UK Army’s modernisation initiatives and operational strategies.

The visit underscores the enduring partnership between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional stability and global peace.

The army chief met his British counterpart General Sir Patrick Sanders in May last year where both sides discussed measures to further elevate bilateral defence relations.

Earlier, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb expressed the desire to work for more robust relations with the UK during a meeting with British Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan Hamish Falconer in Portugal.

 

[Distant_Observer]

 

[Whirling_dervesh]

Guard of honour? This Bum should be paraded naked on the streets of pakistan. Who needs enemies when this bufoon is in charge.

 

[Oscar]

You salute the rank not the person.

 

[Yasser76]

Unsure what we can learn from the UK. The British Infantry is some of the best in the world, and many NCOs did Afghanistan and Iraq, but then our whole army has similar experiances.
Sandhurst is of course good, but Kakul has caught up, to the point it competes with Sandhurst for foreign cadet training.

British Army is now around 70,000. They cannot muster a fully fledged division and will struggle to deploy a brigade (as being contemplated for Ukraine pace keeping).

Struggling with armour both in terms of the Challenger 3 and also number (around only 200 tanks)

 

[Ak01]

Guard of honour? This Bum should be paraded naked on the streets of pakistan. Who needs enemies when this bufoon is in charge.

you should go and do it then. Alternatively, you can behave and express your dislike in a tasteful manner.

 

[gamaji]

Personally, I see diaspora in GCC as liability to Pakistan and some solution must be found, as these GCC lot have blatantly used them against Pakistan as bargaining chip. Known fact that MBS threaten Pakistan on diaspora issue when IK was going to Malaysia to attend the summit. You cant really work with these lot on long term bases, I mean what do you make of an idiot who felt threatened by IK because he was becoming a bigger figure then him on international stage? Action speaks louder then words, going forwards, at best , keeping them at arms length should be observed. Their ingress into our affairs has nothing but negative repercussions on Pakistan and its interests.

Only fools try to cut off the branch they are sitting at. How can Pakistan break brotherly relationship with friendly countries that have always supported us in need. We need to get more countries on our side rather than pushing away those already on our side. What a foolish approach!

 

[SaadH]

You salute the rank not the person.

You don't salute a brutal dictator under any circumstance.

 

[Oscar]

You don't salute a brutal dictator under any circumstance.

you do it because you’re hosting him as a dignitary. Regardless of how your public feels UK military has invited him as COAS Pakistan and they are saluting that.

If he comes to the US - he will get salutes as well regardless of how bellicose you scream out at his motorcade. Unless UK PM says otherwise - its protocol