Comment by Riaz Haq on December 3, 2017 at 6:02pm

#Turkey, #Iran, #Pakistan see big trade boost with #Qatar after #Saudi led blockade @AJENews

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/turkey-iran-pakistan-big-trad...

The move by Turkey, Iran and Pakistan to increase bilateral trade with Qatar, following a Saudi-led blockade, has benefited all four countries, according to experts.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a land, air and sea blockade on it on June 5.

Speaking on Sunday on the sidelines of the Gulf Studies Forum in Qatar's capital, Doha, analysts said the crisis has helped Iran, Pakistan and Turkey increase bilateral trade with Qatar, as well as open new commercial routes and strengthen political ties.

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Pakistan, which has historically held strong ties with all GCC countries, chose to stay neutral in the immediate aftermath of the blockade. However, its then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Riyadh in an offer to mediate between the GCC countries.

Sharif, who spent seven years in exile in Saudi Arabia following a military coup against his government in 1999, urged all countries to "find an early resolution to the impasse" in a statement issued from his office following his return.

However, the statement went on to reaffirm "the strong commitment of the government of Pakistan to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Saudi kingdom".

This subtle tilt towards Saudi Arabia was down to Sharif's long history with the Kingdom and its rulers, according to Zahid Shahab Ahmed, of Pakistan's National University of Science and Technology.

"Sharif has long-standing personal interests in Saudi Arabia. His family has invested heavily in the country while they were in exile there," Ahmed told Al Jazeera.

Sharif also relied on Qatari leadership in his fight against the Panama Papers corruption charges, which is why "Pakistan found itself in a situation where it was stuck in a fight between two brothers.

"It opted for the middle ground and it has benefited Pakistan's relationship with Qatar. There has been the opening of a direct trade route between Pakistani and Qatari ports, Pakistan has agreed to send more workforce to Qatar and the LNG agreement was already in place," said Ahmed.

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