Can Saudi Arabia count on Pakistan's support for Sunni Alliance against terrorism?

Abstract

Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's announcement last December of a Riyadh-led Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT) received a positive response from Western policymakers. Undoubtedly, the enthusiasm was largely premised on hopes that the oil-rich Gulf Arab states will contain the spread of terrorist groups such as "Islamic State" (Daesh) and al-Shabaab across the Muslim world - from Somalia to Syria and from Libya to Afghanistan. Yet, the focus throughout has been on the manifestations and symptoms of these organizations' global terror campaigns. Explicit acknowledgement of geopolitical, religious or ideological leanings of the major proponents of the IMAFT has been lacking within Western discourse.