Not the head of the state though, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir is in the driving seat. One of his initiatives has been to conclude agreements with a number of predominantly Muslim states in the region. The first move in this direction was the defence pact with Saudi Arabia, by far the richest Muslim state in the world. Since the conclusion of this agreement, Pakistan has been visited by several political leaders from the Muslim world. Each visit concluded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOUs), if not a full-fledged agreement. These understandings are not only with the countries of the Arab world. Turkey has also expressed an interest in agreeing with Islamabad.

Among the many flashpoints in the Muslim world is the unrest in Iran (which has subsided of late). The ruling class of clerics had made clear that they would use extreme force to subdue the protesters including groups of women who came out in the streets to agitate for fundamental improvements in the quality of their lives. According to a report by the Iran Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), death toll caused by the use of force by the Islamic state had, by January 11, reached 500, including 14 law enforcement people. Although women were prominently involved in the protests, it was high inflation that was the primary cause.

The official version of the unrest was different from that of the human rights groups. The government said that the enemies of the Iranian people trained a group of saboteurs both inside and outside the country........

© The Express Tribune