The appointment of a popular Pakistani general to head a Saudi-led alliance of Muslim countries has set off a furor in Pakistan, amid fears that the move could exacerbate sectarian tensions at home.
Pakistan’s government last week approved the appointment of a former army chief, Raheel Sharif, to lead the Islamic Military Alliance, a posting announced by Saudi Arabia in January.
The alliance includes several dozen mainly Muslim countries with the professed aim of countering terrorism, although it has taken no significant military actions, least of all fighting the Islamic State group in Syria or Iraq.
Saudi officials have argued that the alliance’s Muslim identity will make it more effective in combating Islamic extremists, while sending a powerful message that Muslim countries reject their ideology.
However, critics say the alliance does not include predominantly Shiite states like Iran and Iraq, making it more of a Sunni military alliance than an “Islamic” one.
Still, the appointment of Sharif would give the Saudi-led alliance a more international sheen. Saudi Arabia has also been seeking support from Pakistan for its campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen and may be hoping Sharif’s appointment could bolster that effort.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, led by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, has been at the forefront of opposing the decision, saying it could widen the Sunni-Shiite divide in Pakistan and upset Iran, its majority-Shiite neighbor.
The party says it will raise the issue in the next session of parliament later this month.
“We strongly advocate the policy of impartiality as far as conflicts in the Middle East and Muslim world are concerned,” Khan said.
“We under no circumstances should fall into any conflict and hence be watchful of the impacts of every decision or choice we make,” he said.
On the country’s rambunctious political talk shows, guests have been vigorously debating the appointment of Sharif, who was hugely popular for his successes against Taliban militants before retiring last year, with many expressing criticism and apprehension.
Pakistan is a predominantly Sunni country, like Saudi Arabia, but Shiites make up about 20 percent of the population and have often been targeted by extremist Sunni militants.
Saudi Arabia is a major donor to Pakistan and maintains close ties with its civil and military elite. It has appealed to Pakistan for military help with its campaign in Yemen against the Houthi rebels, who are aligned with Iran and belong to the Zaydi Shiite sect.
However, Pakistan has so far stayed out of the operation, which is being conducted by Saudi Arabia and a smaller coalition of Arab countries, as has Egypt.
The government’s inability to rally support behind the Saudi military effort has been embarrassing for Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who lived in exile in Saudi Arabia in the early 2000s.
Now, the former army chief’s presence at the head of the Islamic Military Alliance could signal a change in policy, analysts say.
Raheel Sharif’s appointment “is a bit of a departure from Pakistan’s more-or-less neutral position on the Iran-Saudi regional war,” political analyst Arif Rafiq said. “As a result, it’s been opposed by even the mainstream, nonsectarian political voices in Pakistan.”
Rafiq said the impact on sectarian relations in Pakistan was still uncertain.
If the alliance “confronts Iran or Iranian-supported groups in places like Yemen, then it could trigger protests inside Pakistan,” he said.
“On the other hand, if it is merely a symbolic coalition that limits itself to Saudi territory or focuses on combating ISIS, then the negative impact would be minimal,” he added, referring to the Islamic State by one of its acronyms.
Rafiq said the retired general might see himself more broadly as the leader of a military force defending the Muslim holy sites of Mecca and Medina against the Islamic State group, which might be more acceptable for most Pakistanis.
“For Pakistanis, to have one of their own leading, it would be a great honor,” he said.
The establishment of the Islamic Military Alliance was announced in December 2015; it had 34 state members at the start and has since acquired several others. The coalition fighting in Yemen is a smaller group of Arab countries.
Pakistan’s approval of Raheel Sharif’s appointment two months after its announcement suggested some hesitation by the government. The controversy has also taken some luster off the popular image he enjoyed after a successful campaign against Taliban militants that began in 2014, clearing militant strongholds in northwest Pakistan.
The general’s popularity overshadowed that of the civilian government, which has been troubled by corruption allegations. He was widely perceived as influencing foreign policy decisions and relations with neighbors, and indirectly pressuring government over political matters.
Last year, there were widespread calls for him to take over the government instead of retiring when his term expired in November.
Since the news broke of his future job, he has maintained his characteristic silence, frustrating critics who wonder what his appointment means and the objectives of the military alliance.
“As a retired military chief seeking a high-profile job that will likely involve a great deal of shuttle diplomacy, why is General Raheel not seeking the government’s approval to address the media and respond to the misgivings in person?” an editorial in Dawn, the country’s leading English daily, asked on Tuesday last week. “Surely addressing the nation’s concerns ought to be the priority.”
The newspaper said the “clandestine manner” in which the government handled the general’s appointment had created the impression of a “secret deal.”
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