Saudi Arabia/Iran: Riyadh-Tehran rivalry stirs up sectarian fears in Pakistan

Senior military figures in Pakistan say they are increasingly worried that Middle East conflicts, stoked by the regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, could exacerbate sectarian rifts within Pakistan. Behind the scenes, they have been calling for Pakistani political leaders to do more to try and mediate between Riyadh and Tehran, saying that Pakistan needs to convince Tehran that its efforts to encircle the Gulf Arab countries with Shia-dominated regimes will ultimately prove counter-productive, and to convince Riyadh that its export of radical Wahhabist ideology is similarly problematic.