Pakistan senator says UAE ‘helpless’ amid $3.5 billion loan repayment; warns 'don't land up as part of Akhand Bharat'

Pakistan senator Mushahid Hussain said Islamabad was moving to repay $3.5 billion in loans to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because it was “in need and helpless”, and warned that its close ties with India could one day lead it into “Akhand Bharat.

”Speaking in an interview with Dunya News, Hussain defended Pakistan’s decision to return the funds, presenting it as support for a long-time ally rather than merely the settlement of a financial obligation.“Pakistan took the right decision. Our UAE brothers are in need and helpless. We took loans from them and are repaying them in times of crisis. We have always helped them. Pakistan played an important role in building the UAE.

We trained their armed forces. We have good relations since the time of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (the founding father and first president of the United Arab Emirates),” said Hussain, as quoted by ANI.He said Pakistan and the UAE shared long-standing ties and recalled Islamabad’s role in helping train the Gulf country’s armed forces.Explaining why he described the UAE as being in difficulty, Hussain pointed to what he said were major financial outflows and regional conflicts involving the Gulf state.

“They are stuck and helpless now. They gave US President Donald Trump $150 billion. They are also stuck in wars in Yemen and Sudan. It's our responsibility to help them,” said Hussain.Hussain also referred to the UAE’s ties with India and the size of the Indian expatriate population there.“Your population is 10 million; out of that, 4.3 million are from India,” Hussain noted.“Pay attention that the friendly ties with them do not land you up as part of Akhand Bharat.”The remarks came as Pakistan prepared to return $3.5 billion before the end of the month, according to a senior Pakistani official cited by Dawn.The funds were part of external financial assistance extended in 2019 through the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to help stabilise Pakistan’s balance of payments. Reports said Abu Dhabi had sought immediate settlement, prompting Islamabad to expedite the repayment despite concerns over the impact on its economy.“The amount will be returned as soon as possible,” the official said, adding that “national dignity could not be compromised for financial considerations.”The repayment comes at a difficult time for Pakistan, which is currently under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and needs to secure around $12.5 billion in rollovers from key partner countries, including China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to maintain reserve levels and meet external financing needs.Pakistan’s central bank reserves are currently estimated at around $16.3 billion. Repaying $3.5 billion would reduce reserves by nearly 18 per cent, significantly weakening the country’s external buffer and import cover.