Islamabad, April 27 Pakistan is mediating between Iran and the US out of necessity. For Pakistan, a destabilised Iran increases space for militants on the western flank and tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran risk triggering pact obligations, a report has stated.
"Is Pakistan a pillar or a bridge? A bridge connects others. A pillar anchors value. A bridge carries traffic. A pillar carries weight. A bridge facilitates passage. A pillar sets terms. A bridge is used by others. A pillar is paid for by others. Yes, Pakistan has become a repeat-use mediator. Yes, Pakistan has secured seats at select negotiation tables. But Pakistan remains balance-sheet dependent. Ground reality: Pakistan has no monetisation framework," Farrukh Saleem wrote in an opinion piece in The News International.
"Pakistan has no pricing mechanism. And Pakistan has no contract pipeline. Remember, Pakistan is not mediating out of choice. Pakistan is mediating out of necessity. For Pakistan, a destabilised Iran expands space for militants across our western flank. For Pakistan, a Saudi-Iran escalation risks triggering treaty obligations. For Pakistan, a regional war imports sectarian stress into domestic politics. For Pakistan, mediation is risk containment," the author further stated.
Monetising strategic relevance is not abstract but substantial. Pakistan must move diplomacy from meetings to mandates, access to assets and visibility to value. If Pakistan does not have a pricing mechanism, it will reach margins as fast as it reached at the centre. The difference between a pillar and bridge is that one is paid and other is used.
During the Soviet-Afghan war from 1979-1989, Pakistan used geography for USD 85 billion (inflation-adjusted) inflow. Following 9/11, Pakistan used geography to get inflow of USD 45 billion (inflation-adjusted). In both cases, Pakistan used geography systematically and intentionally, according to an opinion piece in The News International.
According to the Saleem, diplomacy through which cash flows are not generated is not a plan but theatre. In geopolitics, bridges are crossed while pillars are given compensation. In geopolitics, a bridge gets used while a pillar gets paid.
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