So much noise and yet so little knowledge. It’s rather amusing to see so many Pakistanis celebrating the Parliament’s resolution to remain neutral in the Yemen conflict. They are cheering Pakistan’s decision not to send its troops to fight on the side of the Saudis against the Houthi rebels.

However, most probably by the time this column goes into print, Pakistan would have sent at least some troops to Saudi Arabia. And this would be the correct thing to do.

What is required at the moment is not false bravado about one being a proud and independent nation that takes its own decisions without any coercion from a foreign power; or that these decisions are taken to serve our own national interest.

A broud bakistani, Nadeem F. Paracha tells us that we need to support our brothers and beat up on the Houthis … or does he?

Indeed this is the right of every sovereign country. But if one is to think logically and rationally and (in this case) even spiritually, then one is bound to realise that sending our troops to Saudi Arabia is very much in our national, geopolitical, financial, seismological and gastronomical interest.

There are at the moment about 1.3 trillion Pakistanis working in the Gulf States. One third of these are taxi drivers, and the rest are daily-wage labourers. But these do not matter as much as do the 3.2 million Pakistani doctors, engineers, teachers, bankers and professional shoppers who are also there.

They not only send back approximately 5.7 billion dollars daily (and sometimes hourly) to Pakistan, they also come back armed with the superior scientific, economic, academic and mystical knowledge that the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia are enriched with.

From the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia, Pakistanis learn the virtues of religious and racial tolerance, economic equality, intellectual freedom and the socially healthy binding qualities of modern-day sports such as camel-racing and pigeon-hunting.

Now imagine what would happen if Pakistanis find it tough to visit, live or work in Saudi Arabia or in any of the smaller but equally progressive and enlightened Gulf States?

Can you imagine the kind of economic, scientific, intellectual and transcendental cost we, as a poor, backward third world South Asian nation, will have to pay? Can you imagine, or does one have to ask again, can you imagine? Imagine it. Can you? Imagine?

It’s not just about the fact that most of these states have oil and are very rich. It’s also about how rich they are in the fields of education, culture, arts, sports and spirituality. But yes, the economic aspect too must be taken into account by a poor backward South Asian country like Pakistan.

One must remember how Saudi Arabia has been bailing us out from serious economic crises ever since 711AD; we should remember how much our economy is dependent on the business opportunities that the Gulf States offer us. You must remember. Can you? Remember?

If we consider all this we are bound to realise that such facts easily outweigh views based on malicious rumours that spitefully claim that the Saudis and the Gulf States have for long been providing funds to militant networks in Pakistan.

Yes, such funds do come in from there. But they are almost entirely raised to help Pakistan build beautiful, air-conditioned places of worship; intellectually vibrant seminaries; peaceful and charitable evangelical outfits that produce deeply spiritual leaders who spread the message of love, peace and tolerance; and rolling, lush oases lined with giant date-palm trees and serene houbara bustard sanctuaries and long catwalks and glitzy jewellery shops. All very spiritually and scientifically satisfying.

So you see, it’s just not about oil and the kind of wealth the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia are blessed with. One must suggest that a lot of Pakistanis spend time in trying to see the issue in a more objective and strategic manner and not treat it cynically or worse, as something to do with us exhibiting some spine.

What’s the use of a spine if it loses its marrow? Imagine. Can you? Imagine? A spine without marrow? Now ask: Where do we get this marrow from? And the answer is: Riyadh! Abu Dhabi! Sharjah! Jeddah! Dubai Mall!

What are we without these? Yes, they behave like our bosses, but they’re our brotherly bosses. Our historical, cultural and economic fibre, fibre optic and fibreglass are deeply weaved with the ways, waves and the future well being of our brotherly bosses.

We have absolutely nothing in common with the historical, cultural and economic fibre, fibre optics and fibreglass of Iran and Turkey. So why bother pretending that these two are equally important to us? They are not. No Pakistani drives a taxi in Tehran and Istanbul. And that’s a fact.

I do hope and wish that common sense and logic shall prevail in the government, the Parliament and the armed forces, and by the time this column goes into print, we would have removed our troops who are fighting a meaningless war against their fellow countrymen in Waziristan and send the troops to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with our Saudi and Gulf brotherly bosses.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, April 19th, 2015

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