SAUDI Aramco has reportedly signed a $44bn deal with Indian firms to build a mammoth refinery complex in India with a capacity of 1.2 million barrels a day. Perhaps, the deal can be counted as the single largest investment in the history of India by any foreign sponsor.

On the other hand, the Saudi investment in Pakistan is a miniscule despite considering the Kingdom as our most trusted and brotherly country. While we trumpet about having close ties with Saudi Arabia, listen to their advice and dictation in many areas and are ready to do everything to protect their sovereignty, the bilateral economic and trade relations are far from being on an even keel, let alone being optimum.

It is not only Saudi Arabia but other countries, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, China, Malaysia, besides Europe and the US, which are making huge investments in India, while their economic and trade relations are ballooning.

Is more evidence needed of the abject failure of our foreign policy during the last 10 years? We need to seriously ponder why the country has been gradually isolated internationally over the years despite upholding the flag of democracy.

Huma Arif

Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2018