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  • Jan 14th, 2016
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This is apropos a Business Recorder news item 'Mly alliance: Sartaj says govt won't wend ground troops' carried by the newspaper yesterday. Adviser to the Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz made this statement in a so-called in-camera briefing to National Assembly's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Aziz has categorically stated that Pakistan will not send ground troops anywhere abroad, without the UN mandate, but it is ready to contribute intelligence sharing, technical training and provision of arms [if required] being a member of the Saudi-led 34-nation Islamic military coalition. He has also been quoted as saying that Pakistan is pursuing a balanced approach and wants the two counties to defuse tensions.

Nawaz Sharif is quite fortunate that he has been enjoying the services of a veteran foreign relations expert in the shape of Sartaj Aziz for quite some time. Sartaj is highly respected for his independence. Independently he, however, concludes that prime minister's views are the ones that should be followed. But the question is: Does the PM have any meaningful strategy at his disposal to simultaneously appease Saudi Arabia and Iran?

Copyright Business Recorder, 2016


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