Abstract :
Abstract It has historical, religious and cultural affinities with Iran and Saudi Arabia. This very fact binds Pakistan to strike a balance between the two states at foreign policy fronts on one hand. Saudi Arabia being an orthodox Sunni state and Iran as a fundamentalist Shia state has been at proxies with each other not only in the Middle East but beyond the region as well. Despite the Iran and Saudi Arabia’s rapprochement, it is arguable that whether this will help Pakistan as well to pacify the intense social and religious strife in her society. For that Pakistan needs to, first of all, strike a balance between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan is immediate neighbor of Middle East. It definitely needs to assume an active role in sustaining peace and stability in the region but this goal should be accomplished without being party in Arab-Persian clash and Intra-Arab affairs. This recent advancement has opened new avenues for Pakistan’s foreign policy makers as well.
Keyword :
Keywords: Religious rift, foreign affairs, Pakistan, Saudi-Iran relations